The Slovenia Times 127 by Slovenia Times

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The Slovenia Times, Slovenian magazine in English, volume 7, number 127, EUR 4,80

April 2010

Meeting Point for ICT Innovators Why Slovenia is considered an ideal place for introducing new technologies

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CONTENTS

April 2010 4

Panorama

POLITICS

6 8

First time in Slovenia: A MP arrested Limited success of the Western Balkans Conference

12 14 16 18

ECONOMY

20 22

Business Partners

NKBM takes over bank in Serbia Times are bad for construction companies Popularity grows for electric cars Do Slovenians fear foreign investors?

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT Interview: Aleksander Geržina Ydria Motors - a good example of FDI

ICT SPECIAL 23 24 28 30 32 34 37 38 40 41 42 44

Special overview of ICT industry in Slovenia Interview: Giovanni Di Filippo Interview: Blaž Golob and Jerome C. Glenn Could Slovenia become Europe’s Sillicon Valley? ZITex - all IT companies under one association

LIFESTYLE The importance of team building Beauty & Leisure Hit the Slopes - Kanin The simultaneous spring and winter in Bovec Freeride battle report Dine with Style: JB The capital: Ljubljana’s bold infrastructure plan

CULTURE 47 48 Slo times avgust 230x95 mm 11. junij 2009 10:43:56

Slovenia faces the Indian genius Tagore The Event Guide

54 55 56

SPORTS

GUEST STAR: The complete candidate list

A month of affairs Winter Olympics recap PEOPLE: Petra Majdič, cross-country champion

Every picture tells a story April 2010

PANORAMA Should She Stay Or Should She Go?

Tension was building up through the as a longsimmering dispute between State Prosecutor General Barbara Brezigar and Justice Minister Ales Zalar escalated, but a long-awaited meeting with Prime Minister Borut Pahor did not bring closure. Zalar nevertheless labelled the 19th March meeting useful, saying it would allow him and Pahor to take a final decision together in the coming days. Brezigar was pleased to be able to inform the prime minister in detail on developments and her powers. She said she was assured the talks would continue. She was hopeful the difficulties would be resolved to the benefit of autonomy of state prosecution. The meeting also featured Higher State Prosecutor Branka Zobec Hrastar, who has recently resigned as head of the special state prosecution team investigating crime committed by police officers, quoting Brezigar’s interference as the reason for the move. It was this move by Brezigar that prompted Zalar and later his Liberal Democrats (LDS) and Zares to call for her dismissal. Brezigar insists she did nothing wrong, arguing that what she did was within the scope of her powers. The Democrats (SDS) leader Janez Janša, whose government appointed Brezigar, suggested her sacking may lead to public upheaval and trigger the kinds of street protests that the party has been calling for since late last year.

The Erased on the Table... Again! The erased continued to feature prominent on the political agenda just a week after parliament passed amendments to the act on the erased, in what was seen as the final step in efforts to rectify the consequences of the erasure 18 years ago of some 26,000 nationals of former Yugoslav republics from the permanent residence register. The opposition Democrats (SDS) and People’s Party (SLS) filed a request that the amendments be put to a referendum. They argued the legislation was based on the premise that there would be no financial consequences, which is not true. The coalition hit back and appointed the referendum request to the Constitutional Court. In the meantime the issue was scrutinised by a parliamentary inquiry commission looking at the possible political background in the count of erased citizens. The commission is attempting to find out how number of the erased increased from 18,305 in 2003 to 25,701 in 2009. Interior Minister Katarina Kresal said the current figure was correct. She told the commission that the Constitutional Court had adjudged violations of human rights, not their gravity based on a figure. “The weight of human rights violations is the same” regardless of the number she said. Kresal also rejected claims that decisions retroactively granting the erased permanent residence status would serve as a basis for compensation claims. She said 77 compensation claims have so far been filed and not a single one of them ended with the court awarding compensation.

www.sloveniatimes.com Published every month by DOMUS, založba in trgovina d.o.o. CEO and publisher: Brane Krajnik Editorial office: Trg MDB 12, 1000 Ljubljana phone – desk: +386 (0)1 520 50 84 phone – marketing: +386 (0)1 520 50 85 fax: +386 (0)1 520 50 82 email: info@sloveniatimes.com The Slovenia Times

source: STA, Slovenian Press Agency

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Hurray for the Referendum!

Party leaders agreed that Slovenian voters will decide on the border arbitration agreement with Croatia in a referendum with binding force which will be called after the accord is ratified in parliament. “This issue is so important the people should have the final say,” Prime Minister Borut Pahor said after the meeting which he convened three days after the Constitutional Court gave the arbitration agreement the green light. At first Pahor said no referendum was needed, but the opposition as well as some MPs from the coalition parties insisted it ought to be held. Pahor

said he would propose to coalition MPs as well as other MPs that the National Assembly voted on ratification in mid-April. Oppositional SDS leader Janez Janša said the decision to hold a binding referendum was smart because of the issue’s importance. National and People’s Party also welcomed the referedum, but as well voiced the hope that voters will reject the arbitration agreement. Yet another major issue that remains open: whether or not parliament has to ratify the agreement with a two-thirds majority, which the opposition wants, or a simple majority, which is the view of the coalition. Some had hoped the Constitutional Court would answer this question with its ruling, but it has not, despite several legal experts have said the court suggested a twothirds majority would be advisable in order to preclude a situation that might be unconstitutional.

Senior editor Jaka Terpinc editor@sloveniatimes.com

Marketing/Advertising

Business Editor Maja Dragović maja.dragovic@sloveniatimes.net

Irena Kržan irena.krzan@sloveniatimes.com

Copy editor Terry Troy Jackson, s.p. Claire Read Art director Maja Kaplan (design@domus.si) Printed by Littera Picta Medvode

Marko Stijepić marketing@sloveniatimes.com

All uncredited materials printed in the Slovenia Times are either created by the Slovenia Times journalists/photographers or acquired from the author/owner in accordance with the legal terms.

The Slovenia Times is listed in the Media Register of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia under number 491. All content - texts or pictures - with no author specified are exclusively created by contributors to The Slovenia Times or published in accordance with owner’s instruction.

UNDER THE PRESS Gone out of Control Three men who attacked and injured gay rights activist Mitja Blažič in June 2009 were sentenced to a year and a half in prison each on account of publicly inciting hatred, violence and intolerance. Blažic was attacked in front of a bar in Ljubljana during a literary evening as part of a gay and lesbian literature festival. The perpetrators admitted the attack and said they were sorry, although they claimed they did not mean to harm anyone, as they only came to the spot to express their opinion, but then things are said to have gone out of control. However, they failed to explain why they came to the bar masked and carrying stones and torches. The decision was followed by a protest of a hundred people gathered in front of the Ljubljana District Court, claiming the punishment was excessive. While the organisers claim to be friends and school mates of the three attackers, Blažič commented the rally was organised by rightist extremists who are manifestly expressing their hatred.

Opposition

Impeachment Fails The National Assembly turned down an opposition-sponsored motion to impeach President Danilo Tuerk over a controversial state decoration in a 52:32 vote. The Democrats (SDS), People’s Party (SLS) and National Party (SNS) filed the motion on 28 January arguing that the president violated human rights when he decorated Tomaž Ertl, a pre-independence secretary of the interior and head of the Communist secret police. The decoration was issued exclusively for Ertl’s participation in Operation Sever, a key campaign that prevented a nationalist Serb rally in Slovenia in 1989. This was the first impeachment motion against a sitting president, but there had been two against then Prime Minister Janez Drnovšek in 1998. Both were filed by the SDS and stumbled on the first obstacle in parliament.

Nature

The Evil Wind First estimates by Slovenia’s leading insurers put the damage caused by the strong bora winds that swept across the Primorsko (SW) and coastal areas on 9 and 10 March at more than EUR 2.5m. Around 3,000 damage reports had been filed so far. Gale force winds of up to 200 kilometres swept across the southwestern Primorsko region , uprooting trees, ripping roofs from buildings and cutting power to hundreds of homes. No casualties or injuries were reported.

It is torture for me to listen how these politicians keep repeating extreme nonsense for hours on end. It still puzzles me whether any of them know what foolishness they’re spouting. But apparently they don’t care. It only matters to them that their nonsense is useful to them. Lawyer, human rights activist and former constitutional judge Matevž Krivic in a Mladina interview on the opponents of the so-called Law on the Erased.

Photo: BOBO

Intolerance

I’m doing that early morning and late nights, so it doesn’t interfere with our regular tasks. PM Pahor, in his interview to Croatian daily Slobodna Dalmacija, comments on how and when he debates open bilateral issues with his counterpart Jadranka Kosor.

Now, observers and students of Slovenia may be struck by occasional – to quote from Agatha Christie – “evil under the sun.” I am referring to a tendency of rehabilitation of, or rather return to, old times and a break with the politics of cooperation and inclusiveness that had been characteristic of the last two decades. “Evil” may exist in the eyes of the beholder, but some clouds have indeed obscured the Slovenian sun...

Photo: BOBO

Former Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel in his introduction to a diplomatic letter “Slovenia unable to break with the troubled past.

The Church

Labour

A Martyr, Finally!

Desperate Measures

Pope Benedict XVI has issued a declaration of martyrdom for Lojze Grozde, a high school student who is thought to have been tortured and killed by the Partisans during WWII. Grozde is the first beatified martyr in Slovenia. The beatification of Grozde was started in 1992 and was concluded in 2003, when all the documentation related to his death was compiled and sent to the Vatican. The Congregation for the Causes of the Saints establish there was sufficient evidence to conclude that Grozde died a martyr’s death as he had vanished after being arrested and interrogated by a Partisan patrol. His mutilated body was found on a month later in a nearby forest.

A group of construction workers who have not received paychecks in 15 months resorted to a ten-day hunger strike, which resulted in a meeting with representatives of the Labour Ministry and the country’s biggest trade union confederation. The eleven men, citizens of Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, worked for construction company Prenova from Kočevje and have received no pay since December 2008. While only two of them are eligible for state welfare benefits, the funds for the rest have been provided by the Red Cross and the Caritas. The police is investigating the company under the suspicion of violation of basic workers’ right.

Embassies all around the world regularly receive writings from people who predict apocalyptic events in their countries. Such documents are normally stored in a circular file under the desk. Foreign Minister Samuel Žbogar on Rupel’s letter.

When I was told that a minster and two members of parliament have been arrested, I thought April’s Fool’s Day had come early. Former minister, MP Karel Erjavec on the arrest of Pogačnik, Jelinčič and Prijatelj.

The Krško police dealt with a burglary case, in which it all seems that somebody broke out of a bar and not into it. The police was called in the morning as the cleaning lady noted that the bar door was open and damaged. The police concluded nothing was taken, and it all seems that somebody remained inside after closing time and exited forcibly. The police are still investigating. A report from the crime section at www.posavje.info website, (regional for southeast Slovenia)

POLITICS

By Maja Dragović

It seemed there would have to be a lull

on the Slovenian political scene after February’s controversies over the killing of Dr Sašo Baricevic by his dogs. But no. Here come Katarina Kresal, Srečko Prijatelj, Zmago Jelinčič and Milan Pogačnik on to the scene, each guaranteeing new political drama. Ms Kresal has found herself under heavy attack from various political and media outlets over a number – three to be exact – of accusations of misuse of power. Naturally, she is guided by an incredible need to defend herself by any modern – peaceful, of course – means available. So she sets up a website to tell her side of the story. Unfortunately, in the Gwyneth Paltrow style – a girlie and trendy website looking to attract the attention of wealthy and privileged blondes with time to waste and money to spend. The problem is that Kresal is not an actress whose views are unimportant due to lack of real power. Instead, she is a politician with admirable convictions and commendable work already under her belt. So what led Kresal to link the airing of her underwear with serious accusations of misconduct she is facing? After a media uproar, she explained she was being sarcastic and that the reaction to her website revealed the double standards in Slovenian society. Hmmmm. Is it not the case that the only thing the website revealed was a bad taste in humour among Kresal and her media advisors? At the moment, the only crime we can be certain Kresal is guilty of is one committed by every woman – an endless need to prove and explain ourselves in a male dominated world. Srečko Prijatelj, however, seems to have a different crime to tell. The National Party deputy was caught with EUR 323,000 in cash and quickly imprisoned on suspicion of corruption and bribery. But in a turn of events which has highlighted the remnants of the communist state’s red tape and excessive bureaucracy, he was later released for – unbelievably – “lack of evidence”. He was soon arrested again, this time on suspicion of extortion. Some think this case is clear cut but the fact remains everybody is innocent until proven otherwise. What has been striking about the case, though, is that parliament has seen fit to debate whether to give Prijatelj immunity over the case. President Clinton was impeached for lying about having an extramarital affair and few spoke of immunity then. And yet here we have a politician who is suspected of corruption and extortion. And parliament feels it has to debate his immunity. The only silver lining is that they didn’t give it to him. Drama from the other side of the political spectrum comes from Zmago Jelincic. This politician with his recognisably controversial style has been caught red-handed in an attempt to swap his parliamentary vote for personal gain. Minister Pogačnik, facing a vote of confidence over serious corruption charges relating to the bullmastiff affair, was told that Jelinčič’s vote was his – so long as the minister agreed to planning permission for a plot of land where Jelinčič wanted to construct an air industry museum. Shocking? No, this sort of deal probably happens all the time. What is shocking though is Jelinčič’s public admission that this indeed happens all the time and his further contention that it is therefore not corruption. So if stealing happens all the time does it cease to be a crime? What Jelinčič forgets is that his role is not just to serve the interests of those who voted for him. He has a social responsibility to set high standards that us mere mortals should follow. One individual who had been forced to accept that such standards are expected of politicians is the aforementioned Milan Pogačnik. After months of pressure, the minister has finally resigned. Quite why, however, is unclear. His own explanation offers no clarity: he says he has bowed to pressure to resign while adamantly denying the allegations made against him in relation to the bullmastiff affair. What Pogacnik has failed to realise – or admit – is that he had a moral responsibility to the owner and to the public for the gross lack of foresight he showed. Pogačnik may not be ready to follow Kresal’s lead and air his dirty laundry just yet. But if he ever decides to, a nation will be eagerly listening.

A Catalogue of Crime In the first half of March, police in towns across Slovenia executed an extensive criminal investigation. The inquiry was triggered by suspicions of corporate crime, bribery, blackmail and unauthorised production and trafficking of guns and explosives. It seems the suspicions were well founded – Srečko Prijatelj, a member of the Slovenian Parliament, found himself taken into custody while Agriculture Minister Milan Pogačnik tended his resignation following accusations of corruption. By Barbara Štor

he police report shows it all began with an economic crime investigation around Koper and, more precisely, at the city’s port. The inquiry began in April 2009, triggered by concerns about land deals at the port in which the seller allegedly suffered EUR 3.8m in damages. Police initially suspected corruption and some other economic crimes. But soon they were looking at something even more serious – a case of

Photo: BOBO

Scandals, lies and websites

White collar crime

The gangsters of parliament: Jelinčič and Prijatelj.

extortion and unauthorised production and trafficking of arms and explosives. And it went right to the heart of Slovenian politics. It was Aleksander Jevšek, director of the Criminal Police Directorate, who explained that the inquiry had lead police to Slovenian National Party (SNS) Deputy Srečko Prijatelj. He further explained that the politician was suspected of blackmailing and extorting local entrepreneur Marjan Mikuž.

It seems the pair had been involved in a scheme where the state-owned Port of Koper sold cut-price land to Mikuž’s firm – a business, probably not coincidentally, co-owned by Prijatelj’s wife. The firm then leased the self-same real estate back to the port at a considerably higher price. But at some point it seems this quid pro quo went badly wrong. The SNS deputy became convinced that Mikuž owed him money. The result, it seems, is that the businessman and his family had to endure menacing behaviour from Prijatelj. When the politician went as far to threaten the Mikuž family with a gun, the entrepreneur decided it was time to go to the police. The authorities quickly swung into action and caught Prijatelj red-handed – he was receiving EUR 323,000 at the time. The deputy – ironically a member of the commission established under the Prevention of Corruption Act – assured police this was not a case of extortion but merely of debt recovery. His defence didn’t impress the authorities, however, who kept him in custody on charges of extortion and possession of firearms. It was a measure requested by the Koper district prosecutor who feared Prijatelj could attempt to influence witnesses. At the same time the parliament’s Privileges and Cre-

dentials Commission refused to grant him immunity.

Trading votes But blackmail and extortion are only one part of this criminal story. Just as the inquiry in Koper uncovered something more than the investigators originally anticipated, so the investigation of Prijatelj lead to the discovery of another crime. By chance, police unearthed a deal between agriculture minister Milan Pogačnik and SNS leader Zmago Jelinčič. According to their report, the SNS Party had promised the minister votes on a key law and support in an upcoming no-confidence vote in exchange for the rezoning of land in eastern Slovenia. It seem s t he SNS wa nted Pogačnik to secure the transfer of some farming land in the Prekmurje region to the municipality of Murska Sobota. Once the transfer was complete, Zmago Jenlinčič – president of the Slovenian National Party and keen aviation enthusiast – planned to build an aeronautics museum. As a favour in return, SNS would support Pogačnik in the no-confidence vote. That vote had been brought about by yet another Slovenian political scandal – the already infamous bullmastiff affair. The centre-right opposition argued that Pogačnik should be held responsible for the death of Dr Sašo Baricevic, killed by his own pet dogs – animals which it is widely acknowledged had already been identified as dangerous.

Another resignation Jelinčič quickly launched a spirited defence for his offer to trade votes on the issue. He began by arguing that the trading process was nothing unusual in parliaments. Speaker of the National Assembly Pavel Gantar was indignant. He found this statement “outrageous” and added that if a deputy is suspected of or charged with acts of corruption, he or she should resign immediately. Jelinčič further contended that the investigation into the deal with Pogačnik was nothing but a left-wing conspiracy led by interior minister Katarina Kresal. His belief is that Kresal is seeking revenge for his party’s continuous fight against recognising the rights of the “erased” population of Slovenia. He also believes that the interior minister is trying to divert attention away from scandals in which she and her boyfriend, lawyer Miro Senica, have allegedly been involved. Pogačnik, meanwhile, resigned just one day after he was detained

by police. This was in spite of his long-held contention that he shouldn’t be held responsible for the bullmastiff tragedy. »I’m resigning due to all the pressure that has been put on me,« he told at a news conference, adding that the corruption allegations against him were false.

More to come? The resignation of Minister Pogačnik was the third in Prime Minister Borut Pahor’s cabinet since the coalition took power in Autumn 2008 and the second this year alone. Last October, less than a year into her term, local govern-

ment and regional development minister Zlata Ploštajner left the government for health and personal reasons. In January this year, she was joined by environment minister Karl Erjavec who was forced to quit due to bad waste management procedures. Are there more scandals and resignations to come this year? Most Slovenian citizens are hoping not. But when Srečko Prijatelj remains simultaneously behind bars and a member of the SNS and parliament, many are finding it difficult to be optimistic about the state of the Slovenian political system.

Photo: BOBO

Dodgy deals

PM Pahor shows the door to minister Pogačnik April 2010

POLITICS Photo: T. Petelinšek, STA

The Balkans

No Show Despite Slovenia’s high hopes for the Western Balkans conference held in Brdo pri Kranju, the event turned out to be anything else but an unqualified success. By Jaka Bartolj

or Slovenia -- and Borut Pahor’s government in particular --, it was a chance to shine in the media spotlight: a high/profile conference attended, for the first time, by leaders of all the former Yugoslav states. The symbolism of the March 20 event, organized jointly by Pahor and Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, far overshadowed any practical matters to be discussed in the conference, but what powerful symbolism it was supposed to be: representatives of former adversaries sitting together and working for the benefit of the entire region.

The Invisible Man The reality turned out to be different. Serbian President Boris Tadić, made it clear that he would

not attend the conference if Kosovo also attended as an independent country. Serbia would only accept Kosovo’s presence if its former province appeared under the designation “Kosovo – UNMIK”, used when Kosovo was still an international protectorate before declaring its independence. Serbia’s argument was simple: By agreeing to Kosovo’s attendance as an independent country, it would have legitimized what it considers a politically unacceptable situation. For much the same reasons, Kosovo’s representatives were just as unwilling to back down. They were determined not to play down their hard-fought, if not universally recognized, independence. In the end, the conference happened without Serbia’s attendance. At first, the organizers at-

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The Slovenia Times

Milo Djukanović (Montenegro), Nikola Špirić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Jadrnaka Kosor (Croatia), Borut Pahor (Slovenia), Hasim Taci (Kosovo)... The prime ministers of Western Balkans - all but one.

tempted to spin the event as a success even without Serbia. After all, according to this argument, the conference did manage to bring together the other leaders of the Western Balkan countries, and was that not a major coup? Bosnia-Herzegovina does not recognize Kosovo, yet it had no problem sitting down with the breakaway province. Some pointed to this as success, or at least a significant consolation prize – two Balkan countries with no diplomatic ties attending the same conference (even if Bosnia’s Prime Minister walked out when Kosovo’s Prime Minister spoke).

The Lost Symbolism If getting Kosovo and Bosnia together was a consolation prize, it was a modest prize indeed. Much more than about substance, the conference was about symbolism. Therefore, Serbia’s symbolic absence carried more weight than any substantive matter discussed by the participants. As TV Slovenia’s analyst Edvard Žitnik argued, the success of the conference hinged on getting both Serbia and Kosovo to participate. Serbia’s absence therefore showed that the conference, despite everything else, was failure, at least in terms of the desired symbolism. Unfortunately for the Slovenian government, the EU’s cool reaction to the conference only made things worse. European Council President Herman Van Rompuy decided not to attend at all and even EU Enlargement Commis-

sioner Štefan Füle left only after a short while. Privately, the organizers were furious about the EU’s behaviour. Borut Pahor was calmer, but still criticized the EU during his press conference, alleging that the EU is again underestimating all the opportunities that exist in the Balkans.

Hidden Pressure? In part, the EU’s treatment of the event was a result of Serbia’s absence, which thoroughly undermined the conference’s significance even before it began. Still, a number of commentators argued that other factors were probably in play. After all, Spain, which currently holds the EU presidency, is currently organizing its own Western Balkans conference to be held in Sarajevo. It’s entirely possible, argued some, that Spain exerted pressure on the EU to downplay the Slovenian conference in order to promote its own “rival” event. Some observers went even further, implying that Spain also pressured Serbia not to attend. Spain was quick to reject this speculation. Its Secretary of State Angel Lossada strongly denied pressuring anyone not to attend the Slovenian conference and praised the event for contributing to stability in the Balkans. Whatever the backroom deals and pressures, however, the conference in Brdo pri Kranju was at most a symbolic beginning to further Balkan summits. As an event in its own right, it was bound to be quickly forgotten.

Economy

FACTS AND FIGURES

source: STA, Slovenian Press Agency

Finance Minister Franc Križanič has rejected media speculation that his ministry is working on a supplementary budget for this year. Krizanič did acknowledge, however, that a supplement would be needed in the event of a major outlay like recapitalisation of state-owned banks. A capital injection at NLB, Slovenia’s leading bank, was put on hold in December and the company has not yet drawn up a new equity financing plan, he said. “We are not supplementing the budget, but we are having development groups assessing the efficiency of the use of funds in 2009,” the minister said, adding that based on these assessments savings would be made and diverted where they best pay. Budget revenues in the first two months of the year were 0.4% up on the same period last year, but still 18% below those in the first two months of 2008, the minister said. “The situation is similar to last year, but we expect an improvement.” Such an improvement is indicated by revenues from value added tax (VAT), which rose by 13 percent in the first two months when compared to the same period last year. Križanič expects a slight deterioration in March due to the effects of the shortened VAT refund period. Under the VAT

reform act passed last spring, the state must refund excess VAT to businesses within 21 days as of 2010, instead of within 60 days or 30 days for exporters in force before. “At the same time this benefits the economy,” Križanič said. The state of budget revenues also reflects the impact of reduced tax rates, after the corporate income tax rate decreased by an additional percentage point to 20 percent as of this year. The Finance Ministry will start working on the budgets for 2011 and 2012 in April. Times are such that the 2011 budget which parliament passed in November last year is only a rough one, which is how the 2012 budget is also likely to be, Krizanič said. Government material expenditure fell in real terms last year, he pointed out, confirming that Prime Minister Borut Pahor has ordered his ministers to prepare a review of implementation of government austerity measures by April. Pahor has said that his government will definitively not increase the deficit but instead try to reduce it. “We have respected [that] and have significantly reduced expenditure,” the minister said. However, a major outlay for the ministry this year will be the introduction of a new informa-

Photo: BOBO

Minister confident about public finances

Križanič expects improvement in public finances in 2010

tion system for tax administration. The system is expected to contribute to a substantial increase in the tax collected. “The failure to do this would result in a major loss of public finance revenues,” Križanič said, adding that next year saving would start for real, in the sense of cutting back on expenditure that would at the same time subdue economic growth.

Tax

Logistics

Tax Revenues Down 8.2% in 2009

Elan and Alpina win Red Dot Awards Ljubljana Airport Sports equipment manufacturer reintroduces flights and footwear manufacturer to six European cities Elan Alpina have each won a prestig-

The Tax Administration (DURS) collected EUR 10.7bn in tax revenues in 2009, a drop of 8.2% compared to a year earlier it has announced. The fall in revenues was caused primarily by the economic slowdown. The biggest drops were seen in revenues from corporate income tax, personal income tax and value added tax. DURS said it was unclear how much planned changes to tax legislation would affect tax revenues, but pointed out that the abolition of payroll tax resulted in a EUR 228.4m drop in revenues in 2009. According to the report, the tax debt in 2009 increased by 6% to EUR 892m. Around half of that is thought to be recoverable. DURS recovered around EUR 608m in tax debt in 2008.

With the return of Finnish airline Finnair at the end of March, Ljubljana’s Jože Pučnik Airport now has eight carriers flying to 28 European destinations for its summer flight schedule. The airport has reintroduced direct routes to Helsinki, Dublin, Manchester, Madrid, Barcelona and Stockholm. The summer schedule will apply until the end of October. The airport will not, however, be operating between 7 and 21 April due to works on the strip.

Awards

ious international design award. The two companies have been named as winners of the Red Dot Design Award, conferred each year since 1955 by the Essen-based Design Zentrum Nordhein Westfalen. They were selected from 1,663 entries from 57 countries. Elan was recognised for its SLX WaveFlex series of skis, which it conceived together with the industrial design studio Gigodesign. Alpina meanwhile convinced the jury with its cross-country ski boots Promise developed by Alpina experts in cooperation with Studio Jure Miklavc. Elan project manager product manager Luka Grilč said the award proved that: “Elan is a leading brand in the ski industry when it comes to design that is regularly winning such important awards.” In 2007 Elan received the award for its Speedwave series of skis. Alpina meanwhile bagged it for the third year in succession.

Excise duty

Excise duty cut, petrol prices still rise Retail prices for petrol have risen in spite of a cut in excise duty. The government cut excise duty on all types of petrol by two cents per litre in order to mitigate the impact of rising global oil prices, but retail prices still increased. Petrol is up by almost two cents, with regular priced at EUR 1.154 per litre and premium at EUR 1.190. Diesel is up by half a cent to EUR 1.091. Petrol prices are government controlled and adjusted every two weeks in line with prices of oil derivatives on global markets and the exchange rate of the US dollar. The Slovenia Times

11 Labour market

Executive wages

Excise duty

Growth in unemployment rate slows

Executive pay in state-owned companies curbed

Tobacco excise rises State to invest in venture capital firms

The growth in Slovenia’s unemployment rate slowed in February, new figures show. The number of jobless registered with the Slovenian Employment Service rose 0.2 percent to 99,784 in February, the smallest monthly increase since October 2008. The amount of newly registered unemployed fell too – 6,848 people registered their unemployment in February, down 35.7 percent on the previous month and 16 percent on the same period a year ago. Unemployment is, however, still 29.3 percent higher than it was a year ago.

Executive pay and severance packages are to be restricted following the passage of a new law. The act on executive pay at state-owned companies and local communities passed Parliament in May. The new law stipulates that severance pay may not exceed the six monthly gross wages and that outgoing managers staying on at different posts will not be entitled to severance pay. It also sets fixed and variable income. While the fixed part will be determined by the government, the variable part – which must not exceed 30 percent of the fixed pay – will be in the hands of the supervisors.

Agriculture

Farmers get subsidies worth EUR 354m

The Slovenian Agency for Agricultural Markets and Rural Development paid out subsidies worth a total of EUR 354m in 2009, it has announced. The money was earmarked for area payments, goats, sheep and cattle, less-favoured areas, agri-environmental measures, rural development programmes, sugar sector restructuring and co-funding of insurance premiums. EU funds accounted for EUR 231.5m of the subsidies. Applications for this year’s subsidies are being taken until 15 May. Money will be available for several new measures, which includes extra milk premiums for mountain farms and payments for the preservation of cattle breeding at farms which have grassland.

Government bonds

Slovenia conducts new EUR 1BN bond issue Slovenia issued one billion euros worth of treasury bonds in March. This is the second bond issue Slovenia carried out this year in order to finance its national budget. It sold a EUR 1.5bn issue with a ten-year maturity and a coupon rate of 4.125% on 18 January. The new five-year bond has a coupon rate of 2.75%. The issue, mature on 17 March 2015, achieved 99.453% of the nominal price. The Finance Ministry said the yield of the latest issue was 37 basis points above the benchmark midswap rate. The bookrunners were Abanka Vipa, Commerzbank, Royal Bank of Scotland and Societe Generale. The ministry said the issue attracted investors from across Europe, those from Germany subscribing to 33.5% of the issue. Subscribers also came from Italy (11.5%), Benelux (10.9%), the UK (9.9%), France (8.3%) and Scandinavian countries (5.6%). Domestic investors acquired 10.2% of the issue.

Logistics

Splošna Plovba expands fleet Splošna Plovba has expanded its 19-vessel fleet with a new cargo ship. The company took ownership of the ship, named Trenta, in Nantong, China in March. Trenta, which has a capacity of 57,000 tonnes, will transship 55,400 tonnes of nickel ore from the Philippines to China as part of its first journey. The 190 metre long and 32 metre wide vessel, valued at EUR 35.5m, will mostly transport goods in international waters. Splošna Plovba, which reported EUR 142.7m in revenues and a net profit of EUR 23.7m for 2009, plans the purchase of another cargo ship in May. Production on the ship – which is the sister of Trenta and named Tamar – began in Nantong in March. It should be completed by the second half of May, when the company plans to take ownership.

Venture capital

Tobacco excise has been increased following amendments to the excise duties act that parliament passed in March. Excise on tobacco increased from EUR 69 to EUR 74 per 1,000 cigarettes on 1 April, and will rise to EUR 79 in 2011 and EUR 84 the following year. The increase will add EUR 18.2m in budget revenue this year alone. The hike is in line with an EU directive that has not been adopted yet but which will introduce higher excise as of 2014. Slovenia opted for a gradual increase, said Finance Ministry State Secretary Helena Kamnar. Excise on alcohol and fuels remains level for now, but the amendments to the tobacco duties pave the way for future hikes in these areas.

The state is to invest EUR 44m in venture capital firms in an effort to boost equity financing, it has been announced. The money will accelerate the development of venture funding, prompt the establishment of new venture capital firms and improve access to capital for startups, Economy Ministry State Secretary Darja Radič said. The minimum investment will be EUR 1m in the form of a capital increase worth up to 49 percent of total capital. It is expected that between 5 and 10 venture capital firms will be financed, said Enterprise Fund director Maja Tomanič Vidovič. Invitations for bids have already been invited. The maximum annual investment in a single company may not exceed EUR 1.5m. By the end of the funding period, in 2013, each venture capital firm could invest in five companies, which is projected to create a total of 400 new, well-paying jobs.

Employment

Absenteeism cost Slovenia up to EUR 900m in 2009 Absenteeism in Slovenia rose last year having decreased year-on-year between 2000 and 2008. Figures released by the Health Insurance Institute (ZZZS) showed Slovenians were on sick leave for over ten million working days in 2009, which cost the society between EUR 850m and EUR 900m. This represents and increase of 0.3 percent compared to 2008. According to the Institute – which manages public funds for health care – an average of between 38,500 and 39,000 workers are absent from work on a daily basis because of sickness or injury.

Absenteeism was in decline until 2008 Average duration (days) 14

2004 2005 2006

2007 2008

Energy

EC approves EUR 40M for Slovenian gas project The European Commission has approved EUR 40m for a new gas pipeline between Austria and Slovenia. The pipeline, to be constructed by Slovenian gas distributor Geoplin Plinovodi, will start at the border with Austria and lead to Ljubljana. The European Commission is distributing EUR 2.3bn among 43 energy projects as part of the European programme for recovery. The projects are also aimed at the construction of cross-border infrastructure to improve energy security. The selected projects are to receive the funds in 18 months.

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12 ECONOMY

Banks

Going South The global financial crisis has ravaged almost every sector of the economy but it was the banking industry which received the first and most destructive blow. Recovery is of course inevitable and at the moment the priority is identifying the opportunities which could hasten its arrival. Nova Kreditna Banka Maribor (NKBM) believes it has found just such an opportunity in the form of a small bank in Serbia. How will this move down South affect the prospects of Slovenia’s second biggest bank? By Aleš Šinkovec

Andrej Plos, member of the board of directors of NKBM

Serbia in particular is regarded as a very promising financial market. Its banking system may be less developed, but that’s precisely the reason investing in the country proved such an attractive prospect.

The Slovenia Times

ome media outlets described it as a bold move: the acquisition by a massive Slovenian bank of a small Serbian bank with just a half percent market share. Why, the press asked, would NKBM want to take on yet more risk during such financially volatile times? But take a look behind the headlines and it becomes clear that NKBM’s March takeover of Kragujevac-based Credy Bank is a carefully calculated move. NKBM explained the acquisition formed part of their investment group’s strategy for the 2008 to 2013 period. The reasoning is simple: the Slovenian market has become saturated with competition. South-Eastern Europe, on the other hand, offers a new opportunity to expand and increase profits. Serbia in particular is regarded as a very promising financial market. Its banking system may be less developed, but that’s precisely the reason investing in the country proved such an attractive prospect. The acquisition means that NKBM is entering a market which has great potential for growth, increased volume, and the introduction of new financial products. Add to that the fact that, in the company’s own words, “prices for such transactions are at historically low levels” and the takeover appears less like a bold move and

more like an exceptionally canny one.

Capitalising on recapitalisation NKBM’s acquisition of Credy was not through the traditional method of buying stock. Instead, it received a 55.1 percent controlling stake through recapitalisation. Some feared that would put the group in a risky position, but the numbers seem to suggest otherwise. Credy’s balance sheet of EUR 80m and a EUR 40m credit portfolio represents less than one percent of NKBM’s finances. It also seems that the Serbian bank was somewhat of a bargain. Initially it was estimated that it would cost NKBM in the region of EUR 35m to acquire Credy and its more than 150,000 clients. But it is now suspected that the deal cost NKBM only EUR 20m.

Planning ahead The only slight cloud on the horizon was Credy’s performance last year. The bank made a EUR 2.2 m loss in the first nine months of last year. In spite of this, NKBM is developing ambitious and varied plans for the Serbian market. At first it will concentrate most of its energies on organisational restructuring and improving human resources. That suggests that, at least initially, the work force will be downsized – standard practice

for any company that is producing a loss. Business clients are to be the focus for the first commercial ventures. Increased production at Serbia’s Fiat construction plant present opportunities, NKBM believes – 16,000 of Credy Bank’s business clients are tied to the venture. Less immediately clear is what services, if any, will be offered to Slovenian companies operating in Serbia – both those exporting to the country, and those based in the country.

A low risk move But whatever services are ultimately offered, it is clear that the primary aim for NKBM is to help Slovenian companies in this time of crisis. They have, for instance, a special business sector in place providing support to small and medium sized businesses. While the long-term impact of this takeover is yet to be revealed, in the short-term almost nothing will change. It’s a minimal risk approach which has to be welcomed in a time of such financial peculiarity. For as Andrej Plos, member of the board of directors of NKBM, says: “A stable financial sector is indispensable for the further development of the Slovenian economy.”

THERE ARE TEN THOUSAND WAYS TO BE BETTER. WE WILL NOT BUILD BY DESTROYING. WE WILL INNOVATE. WE WILL NOT MANUFACTURE WITHOUT REDUCING, REUSING, AND RECYCLING. WE WILL FIND WAYS TO BE CLEANER, MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT, AND MORE SUSTAINABLE. WE WILL NOT USE RESOURCES TODAY WITHOUT PRESERVING THEM FOR TOMORROW. WE WILL FOCUS ON QUALITY, RELIABILITY, AND SAFETY. WE WILL NOT WASTE. WE WILL PREFER NATURAL, BIODEGRADABLE, AND CHEMICAL-FREE CHOICES. WE WILL ACT WITH CARE.

14 ECONOMY

Construction industry

From Bad to Worse

CPO is investigating possible cartel agreements in the counstruction of Šentvid and Markovec tunnels

The Slovenian construction industry and its workers have not been having a happy time of it lately. The swift downturn in the industry brought about by the global economic crisis has left many companies struggling to stay afloat – and has in turn left a host of construction workers unpaid. It might have seemed it couldn’t get much worse. But last month’s announcement that the Competition Protection Office (CPO) is to investigate the practices of five major construction companies has thrown the industry into further turmoil.

t has been a depressingly familiar story in recent months: workers at Slovenian construction companies battling to get paid for work they completed weeks before. On 19 February, construction giant Vegrad announced that its workforce had just been paid... for January. Workers at Gradis had an even longer wait. They didn’t see their wages for the first month of 2010 until mid-March. The delays are indicative of the crisis in which the industry now finds itself. After glory days in which property prices were rising by more than twenty percent a year, the economic crisis has seen Slovenian construction companies brought back to earth with the biggest of bumps. Most are now hanging onto solvency by a thread. Many are dealing with frozen bank accounts and the widespread seizing of assets.

First to suffer The most immediate and obvious victims of these liquidity problems have been the industry’s thousands of workers, hundreds of whom now find themselves placed on forced leave – 229 from Vegrad alone in March.

By Claire Read

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The Slovenia ʧ˚ˊˋ˄ˋ˖ˋˑː ʱˈˈˋ˅ˇʜ ʩˇʎʨˋʎ ʵʎ˒ʎʣʎ ʸˋ˃ˎˇ ʣ˅ˊˋˎˎˇ ʲ˃˒˃ ʕʒ ʐ ʔʒʓʖʛ ʯˋˎ˃ːˑ ʊʫ˖˃ˎ˛ʋ ʶ ʍʕʛ ʒʔ ʕʓʛʓʓʛʓʓ ʨ ʍʕʛ ʒʔ ʕʓʛʓʓʛʔʒ ˋ˖˃ˎˋ˃˔ˇ˃ˎˇ˕˖˃˖ˇʢˉˇ˕˖ˋˑːˇˈˋˇ˔ˇʎ˅ˑˏ Times

ECONOMY 15 To be allowed to offer this government-subsidised leave programme, companies have had to guarantee that staff will be provided with training for at least twenty percent of the three month leave period. The 100 Gradis staff on such leave have had plenty to be getting on with during the time they haven’t been on training courses – they’ve had to battle for pay they have been owed. Colleagues from across the industry have been involved in similar fights.

The subcontractors’ struggle And it’s not just employees at the big companies who have been fighting. The Chamber of Trade Crafts and Small Business (OZS) reports that demand for the services of subcontractors and craftsmen has fallen by between 30 and 40 percent in recent months. These workers too have had to wait months for money. While contracts specify payment within 60 or 90 days, many smaller contractors have had to wait up to 150 days to see any cash.

United in condemnation Unsurprisingly, those who represent construction employees are in uproar at the current situation. Following a hunger strike by 11 foreign workers who had been left without pay for a staggering 15 months, The Association of Free Trade Unions of Slovenia (ZSSS) has begun to push for legislative changes to better protect those working in the industry. Their proposal, which the confederation plans to send to the government and to promote in parliament, would see the creation of a special system of licences for construction companies. To receive the licences, businesses would have to prove they were meeting their obligations to workers. ZSSS is also arguing that price must cease to be the sole consideration when reviewing tenders for business. They declared themselves concerned that when a low value is agreed for work, the price pressure moves all the way down the chain of contractors and subcontractors.

All together now It was a prescient declaration. For on the self-same day that it was made, the construction industry received possibly its biggest blow to date – an announcement by the Competition Protection Office (CPO) that it was investigating suspected cartel agreements

between five major Slovenian construction companies. It has been reported that the CPO believes that SCT, Vegrad, GPG, CMP and KPL have been coordinating their bids for work, ag reei ng prices wh ich allow them to distribute deals among themselves – and not just for public work, but for private contracts as well. Suspect deals apparently include the Brezje-Podtabor motorway section, four viaducts, and the construction of the Šent vid and Markovec tunnels. If that wasn’t enough, CPO head Jani Soršak has announced he is also launching an investigation into the tender practices of national motorway company DARS and expects it to be final-

ised by end of this year. If found of misconduct, each company will pay a fine in the amount of up to 10% of their turnover, Soršak said. While the outcome of the investigations may not be known for some time, the denials have already started. GPG and CPM have both confirmed to the press that CPO staff have visited their headquarters. But they both also claim they have not entered into the sort of agreements the office is investigating. Time will tell. But in the meantime many will hope that this latest twist in the sorry story of Slovenia’s construction industry finally represents rock bottom – and that as a result the only way from here is up.

The most immediate and obvious victims of these liquidity problems have been the industry’s thousands of workers, hundreds of whom now find themselves placed on forced leave

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Among others you will meet: Sandi Češko, Entrepreneur and business innovator, Studio Moderna, Slovenia, “Business innovations as a tool for growth and success” Dr. Maja Makovec Brenčič, Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, “Entrepreneurial turnaround with innovative ideas: Beat competition with new products” Andrea di Anselmo, Vice President, META Group, Italy, “Challenges of pitching innovative ideas” Prof. Leo H. J. Verhoef, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands, “Financing new ventures by avoiding banks and/or risk capital providers” Andrej Mertelj, Entrepreneur, Datalab, Slovenia, “Hidden financial reserves intellectual property”

TRADITIONAL ROUND TABLE WITH TITLE: “ARE OWNERS, MANAGERS, INVESTORS AND GOVERNMENT WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK OF INNOVATIVE IDEAS” Guests: Peter Ribarič, MSc., Ministry of Economy, Dr. Uroš Merc, Entrepreneur, Bisol, Roman Ferenčak, Entrepreneur, Ocean Orchids, Jure Mikuž, VC Fund Manager, RSG Capital, Matjaž Južnič, Bank Manager, Nova KBM. Chair: Peter Frankl, Business Daily Finance

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16 ECONOMY

Car industry

Making Electric Current In 2008 there were 598 cars for every 1,000 residents in Slovenia, the ninth highest proportion of car ownership in the world. Just a tiny percentage of those were eco vehicles. It’s a situation which many Slovenian companies and citizens are committed to changing. But do they have the government support to do it? By Claire Read

ndrej Pečjak was a mechanical engineering student when he created his first electric car. “I was curious about the possibility of driving by electric power,” he explains. “And as a student I was always without money for petrol and so searching for other options.” That was almost thirty years ago and it marked the beginning of a quest to be energy efficient. By 1990, the quest had resulted in the installation of a solar power plant at the Pečjak family home. Now all their electric cars also run on solar power.

A select band The Pečjaks must have a strong claim to the title of Slovenia’s most eco friendly family. But sadly, when it comes to transport at least, there is not much competition. Figures from the Ministry of the Economy show only 61 electric cars in the country – all converted to electric propulsion by their owners. Hybrids – which combine a traditional internal combustion engine with one or more electric motors – are more popular, with 355 registered. But consider that in January 2010 alone 5,484 new cars were sold in Slovenia and it becomes clear that the figures for eco vehicles are but a drop in the rising ocean.

Electric cars are seeing an increase in popularity though the numbers are still nowhere near desired

Committed companies The figures might lead one to conclude that the only interest in eco transport in Slovenia is from a passionate group of private individuals. The reality is different. The country is home to a range of private enterprises working to find better methods of transport. Take Ljubljana-based Elaphe. Company director Gorazd Lampič and his colleagues have developed an electric motor which sits within

The World’s Top 10 Car-Owning Countries Cars per 1,000 residents

2006

800

2005 2004

700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

Portugal

The Slovenia Times

USA

N. Zealand

Lux

Iceland

Italy

Australia

Japan

Slovenia

France

a vehicle’s wheel – the most powerful such motor available. Put simply, it makes electric vehicles drive more like traditional cars and less like milk floats. Lampič reports that it’s a technology which has drawn interest both inside and outside Slovenia. It’s a similar story at boat manufacturer Seaway. The company, which has headquarters in Begunje, is the first in the world to start series production of a hybrid and solar powered motorboat – the Greenline 33. Company owner Tilen Jakopin says more than 60 have been sold to customers across Europe since 1 September 2009.

Put your money where your mouth is The success of Elaphe and Seaway is impressive, not least because neither receives any government support. Which is not to say the government isn’t talking about energy efficiency. The National Energy Plan, in development at the Ministry of the Economy, details plans for “intensive energy efficiency promotion”. It promises that by 2030, 22.8 percent of cars in Slovenia will be electric. Guarantees of government financial support to help meet reach this goal are, however, hard

to come by – even though many predict electric cars will need such backing for four to five years to become competitive. It isn’t just smaller companies which are keen to see subsidies for their work. Renault – which has a massive Slovenian presence through the Revoz assembly plant – will launch its first zero emission vehicles in Europe next year. But there is no launch date for Slovenia yet, and spokeswoman Nina Šarabon says it will stay that way “until all basic conditions are fulfilled.” One of the conditions? Government support. “For now we don’t get any special support from the Slovenian government for electric vehicles,” she explains. “We have presented our projects a few times already and are staying in contact with the government. We hope we will soon reach an agreement.”

The way forward

How soon will that be? No one knows. But the stakes are high, says Jakopin. “What will we breathe, eat and drink tomorrow if we destroy the environment? The age of unlimited consumption is coming to an end. Efficiency, low fuel consumption and alternative energy sources are the future.”

PUBLICATION LAUNCH EVENT Exploring Opportunities: India and Slovenia as Economic Partners Grand Hotel Union, Ljubljana, Wednesday, 14th April 2010, starting 9 am

Programme GH Union, Bela dvorana, Wednesday, 14th April 2010 09.00 - 09.30

Registration and morning coffee

09.30 - 10.00

Welcome note and brief presentation of the publication

10.00 - 10.40

Indian business environment and opportunities

10.40 – 11.00 Coffee break 11.00 – 12.00 Discussion panel: experience of Slovenian companies in India and where is the potential for Slovenian companies 12.00 – 12.15 Coffee break 12.20 – 13.20 Live video conference from India: policy and procedures regarding incoming FDI to India 13.20 – 13.30

Closing remarks by the Ambassador of India

Programme will be conducted in English only

Launch of the publication

“While several Slovene companies are already transacting business with India, there is perhaps still not enough awareness among the vast remaining Slovenian firms about the opportunities presented by the huge and steadily growing Indian market. There could also be questions about policies, procedures and business practices about exporting or importing from India or investing in India. In order to fill information gaps or confidence deficit that may exist about the Indian market place it was felt that it may be useful to bring out a brochure that would briefly profile the experiences of some Slovene companies who already do business with India. There can perhaps be no greater confidence builder than a story of another Slovene company, which did well in this foreign country. No single event can however turn around things magically from the present low bilateral trade and investment base. But the release of such a brochure and the holding of a conference of Slovene businesses for launching the same could enable a fruitful exchange of views and a new beginning.”

• Indian business environment • Experience of Slovenian companies in the Indian market

Dr Villur S. Seshadri, Ambassador of India to Slovenia

For additional information on how to attend contact: The Slovenia Times: Marko Stijepić, marketing@sloveniatimes.com, 01 520 50 85 Embassy of India: Ms Nevenka Kovač, info@indian-embassy.si, 01 513 31 10

Organized by

Indian Embassy

Supported by

18 ECONOMY

Foreign investment

The Devil or Deliverance? With a growing budget deficit, the government is facing a tricky balancing act – selling enough assets to reduce the deficit’s scale while retaining possession of the most treasured state-owned organisations. The situation has seen the fear of foreign investment appear once again. But is the fear of this foreign devil justified? Or could it be that the devil is actually offering deliverance? By Aleš Šinkovec

xtra! Extra! Read all about it: the Slovenian economy is falling into foreign hands! It’s become a familiar statement – one that seems to rear its ugly head during every period of great liberalisation or great recession. It was uttered during Slovenia’s independence; again when the country gained EU membership; and has most recently been heard during the global financial crisis. What does change is which sectors of the economy are believed to be at risk of foreign takeover. Once there was talk of a German “occupation” of the Slovenian coast. Now there is concern for everything from the banking industry to supermarkets.

Fire sale by proxy Many deny that the fear of foreign economic invasion is a rational one. Why believe in the existence of Gordon Gekko, a corporate-raider who emphatically states that “greed is good”, when he is a fictional Hollywood export? What cannot be denied, however, is the scale of the financial meltdown that the world has been facing. It started with previously ineligible mortgages being permitted, turning toxic, being refinanced, being hidden, and finally turning necrotic. In Slovenia, a small number of high-value loans depict the resulting destruction: management takeovers; massive expansion; propping up with stock price minimums; and then a stock market slump causing savage management review. It is destruction that has left the government facing a growing budget deficit. Given that the EU has stated member countries must have a deficit no greater than three percent of GDP, the coalition government has proposed a rationalised sale of assets. And it has meant a return of the familiar fears about foreign takeovers.

National treasure trickery Prime Minister Borut Pahor has worked hard to quell such concerns, setting up an agency The Slovenia Times

The locals in Postojna are adamant that Predjamski castle will not fall into foreign management

to oversee the selection and sales process and emphatically stating that the most important companies will remain in Slovene hands. That suggests that major players such as NLB and Petrol will be spared. But it may be that the government isn’t necessarily capable of saving all national treasures. One of the biggest losers during the crisis has been Istrabenz – the company is currently planning to sell roughly EUR 100m in assets in a desperate attempt to stay afloat. Part of the sale includes Turizem Kras, which holds the rights to operate Postojna Cave (Postojnska Jama) and the neighbouring Predjamski castle. Most feel that the cave and the castle both fall into the national treasure category and that, as a result, they should remain under the direct purview of the Slovene people. Istrabenz seem less fussy – the legal documents for the sale only exist in English, a sign that the target audience is not necessarily Slovenian. Their apparent lack of concern as to the nationality of the ultimate owners has provoked indignation. When the sale was made public, a grass roots movement began with the express purpose of pre-

venting foreign companies taking ownership of the cave and castle. It’s a movement which – after an initial period of finger pointing – the government has backed, not least because there is a danger the Škocjan caves could lose their World Heritage status.

Sale, solution The line the government has to tread is a thin one. On the one hand, it must protect Slovenian interests – just as it has in the past with the failed sales of Mercator and Telekom Slovenije. On the other, the need to reduce the defi-

cit dictates that some sales must happen. Are the two needs incompatible? Perhaps not. Many see an important opportunity here – to remove the bad management that has plagued certain state-owned organisations in the past, so creating increasingly competitive companies and meeting the need for higher added value in the future. And it doesn’t hurt that the value of the planned sales is expected to be in the region of EUR 700m. It is an injection of cash which many believe can only benefit the Slovenian economy – regardless of which nation the cash hails from.

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT 19

FDI

NEWS IN BRIEF

source: STA, Slovenian Press Agency

Investment incentives

Awards

Government acts to encourage FDI

BSH receives climate Labour costs decrease Austria decorates innovation prize Slovenian almost 3% in Q4 BSH Bosch und Siemens Labour costs per hour decreased by businessman

Logistics

NAA to connect Koper with Italy’s ports

Hausgeräte GmbH (BSH), which has a factory in Slovenia, has received the “Innovation Prize for Climate and Environment” from the German Federal Minister for the Environment. The company was recognised for its zeolite drying system for dishwashers, which considerably reduces the appliances’ energy consumption. The jury also recommended that the zeolite drying system be entered into the “European Business Awards for Sustainable Development” competition held by the EU Commission.

Photo: Luka Koper

Labour cost index 105

Excise duty

100

Electricity excise to rise Electricity excise for business users will rise from 50 cents to one euro per MWh, a move that has already caused concern among businesses. The boss of the Novo Mesto-based car plant Revoz, Ales Bratoz, has told STA that the price of electricity in Slovenia was too high and unsustainable in the long run. Additional budget revenue to the tune of EUR 3.5m is projected from higher electricity excise. The good news is that the ceiling on excise refunds for diesel used for commercial purposes has been abolished.

Exports

Representatives from Slovenia’s Koper port have signed a cooperation agreement with colleagues in Italy. Koper, Trieste, Venice and Ravenna ports founded the North Adriatric Ports Association (NAPA) in March. The new organisation is committed to cooperation and synergy in promoting the Northern Adriatic. It was originally conceived last year when the ports decided to join forces to secure a stronger position on international markets and to transform the Northern Adriatic into a European logistic platform for trade routes connecting the Far East to Central and Eastern Europe. One of the first NAPA projects will be the International Exhibition for Logistics, Telematics and Transport held in Shanghai from 8 to 10 June, where the ports will be presented together.

2.8% in the fourth quarter of 2009 compared to the same period last year, the Statistics Office has said. The biggest falls were recorded in agriculture, forestry and fishing (by 11.3%) and in information and communication (by 10.9%). The Statistics Office said the main reasons for the decrease were abolition of the payroll tax as of 1 January 2009 and more hours worked in the final quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008.

Exports edge up, imports decline New figures show that Slovenia’s exports picked up in January 2010 compared to a year ago, rising 1% to EUR 1.21bn. Imports contracted by 2.4% to EUR 1.25bn, expanding the import-export coverage to 97% from 88.3% in December 2009. The EU accounted for the bulk of Slovenia’s exports, at EUR 928.8m. It was also the principal source of imports, accounting for EUR 966.7m, according to preliminary data.

95 90 85 80 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Exports

Possible solutions for Pipistrel’s exports to US Transport Minister Patrick Vlačič has called on the European Commission to help find a way to allow Slovenian plane maker Pipistrel to export its ultra-light planes to the US. Even though Pipistrel products have twice received the award for the world’s best ultra-light planes, the company cannot sell them in the US because Slovenia does not have a bilateral agreement with the US and there is no agreement between the EU and US. The European Commission has said it does not know yet when an agreement between the EU and US will become effective. But Vlačič says it is unlikely to happen any time soon. He has therefore appealed to the Commission to help find a pragmatic solution to the issue.

Import export 140 120 100 80 60 March 2008

Dec 2010

Photo: Pipistrel

The Slovenian government has announced a series of moves it hopes will serve to encourage the rate of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country. At the end of March, the government announced it was making EUR 14.5m available to foreign investors. Of the EUR 14.5m allocated, six will be available for tender this year and the remaining eight in 2011. Interesting foreign investment plans worth more than EUR 12m, meanwhile, will be able to immediately get state support from the Ministry of Economy. The ultimate aim is to raise FDI by two percent. Darja Radić, the state secretary at the Ministry for Economy said that the politics towards FDI will be proactive, aiming specifically to attract high technology quality investments and create new jobs. Although Slovenia is only ranked 23 in the EU based on the rate of FDI, it is one of the few countries which was able to attract more foreign money last year than it did the year before. The deadline for application for the funds is 14 April by noon.

Labour market

Awards

Slovenian business executive Jože Anderlič has been recognised for his contribution to strengthening relations between Slovenian and Austria. Anderlič received the Gold Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria in early March. Austrian Ambassador Erwin Kubesch presented the award in recognition of Anderlic’s work to deepen neighbourly links between the two countries, both economically and culturally. In 1990 Anderlič initiated the establishment of the Ljubljana branch of Austria’s Volksbank, which he headed between 1990 and 1993. He also participated in the establishment of the Slovenian subsidiary of Hypo Alpe Adria Bank in Ljubljana. He is currently the head of the KID holding.

Trade

Boosting cooperation with Arab Emirates The Slovenian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (GZS) has announced the establishment of a business club to boost cooperation between Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates. Although the development of trade with the Emirates has slowed down due to the crisis, predictions are that it will soon pick up. Trade between Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates amounted to EUR 21m, according to data for November 2009. Slovenian export to the country was accountable for the most of the trade.

Trade

Lithuania, Slovenia seek to expand trade Officials and executives have voiced the desire to expand trade between Slovenia and Lithuania. The aim was discussed at a business conference held in Vilnius in March as part of President Danilo Tuerk’s visit to the Baltic country. Trade between the two countries is currently modest but cooperation is promising according to Rimantas Sidlauskas, the head of the Lithuanian association of chambers of commerce and industry. Slovenia sees tourism and IT as the most promising sectors, and it wants Lithuania to become a key trading partner, Tuerk said. April 2010

20 FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT So we decided to help them bridge this gap. The purpose of this initiative is to provide an opportunity, a forum for them to meet – to promote close cooperation in economic and other areas, exchange information, promote ideas and impressions about a subject that this group of ambassadors has in common, namely, Slovenia. The purpose of the forum is not to replace the regular contacts and work of embassies with their counterparts in Ljubljana, but rather to complement it.

Interview: Aleksander Geržina

How often do you plan to have the forum and why do you think it is necessary to have it? The ambition is for the Slovenian Forum in Vienna to be a regular opportunity for ambassadors and their staff to meet with high representatives, officials, experts and diplomats from Slovenia visiting Vienna. It will be a chance to regularly reflect on topics related to Slovenia; on Slovenian views on issues that are interesting to the group; or to simply try to supplement information that is already available with a historical or other background. The Slovenian Forum in Vienna is clearly not a necessity. But I would call it an opportunity for both sides.

Photo: BOBO

Open Forum Vienna is not only Austria’s capital city – it is also the capital of international diplomacy. As such, it plays host to almost 40 ambassadors who are assigned to Slovenia. Now two new forums, headed by Slovenian Ambassador to Austria Aleksander Geržina, are giving those diplomats a chance to access more information on the country to which they are accredited. By Maja Dragović

The ambition is for the Slovenian Forum in Vienna to be a regular opportunity for ambassadors and their staff to meet with high representatives, officials, experts and diplomats from Slovenia visiting Vienna The Slovenia Times

When and why did you come up with the idea to set up a forum for foreign embassies in Vienna that are also accredited to Slovenia? The idea and encouragement for this initiative actually came from a number of ambassadors accredited to Slovenia who are resident in Vienna. We currently have 37 such ambassadors with one additional country soon to join. Some of them approached me and the staff at the embassy and expressed their interest for some kind of informal circle where they could learn more about the Slovenian view on current issues on the global and regional agenda. They also wanted an opportunity to learn more about the cultural and historical background of current issues on the political, economical, social or cultural agenda in Slov-

enia. I was surprised and pleased by this idea and frankly wondered why we hadn’t thought of it ourselves! And so in response to the request we established a Slovenian Forum in Vienna. What is the idea behind the forum? The doors of the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other partner institutions in Ljubljana are always wide open to all ambassadors accredited to Slovenia and based in Vienna – for any inquiry. But everybody knows how busy the Vienna diplomatic agenda is. In my first contact with colleague ambassadors upon my arrival, those accredited to Slovenia told me they were not as exposed to the everyday life and business of our capital and country as they would like to be.

What was the response and the initial feedback to the forum? Do the embassies find the idea useful? Vienna is not just the capital of Austria – it is also one of the regional diplomatic centres or hubs of the international community. The Vienna diplomatic agenda is a challenge for every embassy every day. It is difficult to find a time slot in the calendar where the event you are planning is not competing with some other for the attention of ambassadors. We have invited 38 embassies to participate in the forum and 20 of them took part at our first meeting. At the first meeting I introduced the purpose of the forum and briefed participants on the priorities of Slovenian foreign policy. I also spoke of Slovenian views on current issues that are of interest to all of us: the economy, energy, security. And, finally, I detailed interesting speakers this forum could host in the future, people that we expect to visit Vienna in this year from Slovenia. Most importantly, not only did the forum attendees find the information useful, but they brought to the table their own ideas, questions and comments. These elements combined are, I am sure, a good foundation on which to build. Do you have any knowledge on how active those embassies were prior to creation of the forum?

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT 21 The group of ambassadors accredited to Slovenia and resident in Vienna represents a rather diverse group of countries. However, with a few exceptions, they represent countries from other regions and continents. Some of them are newly accredited to Slovenia, some of them are extremely active, some are small representations with many tasks. But all of them are representing their countries’ interests for cooperation with Slovenia to the best of their abilities. And our intention is to assist them in doing that and to learn from it ourselves. Are there any other embassies that have staff accredited to Slovenia but which haven’t participated in the forum? The forum is an informal initiative, but all embassies accredited to Slovenia will always be treated as members of it, whether they participate in every meeting or not. Those who missed our first meeting contacted us and we were of course aware that they have competing priorities. As already mentioned, it is a busy schedule for everyone every day. And it is also a diverse group of countries and we do not expect that everybody will participate in all of the meetings. However, we will try to create an atmosphere and pick subjects of discussion that will be interesting to everyone. Provided we meet halfway, we can develop this forum further. You also plan to set up a Slovenian Business Forum in Vienna. When will this happen and what will it consist of? The Slovenian Economic Forum (SGF) will be set up shortly. This forum will bring together diplomats who are covering the economy and will pay particularly detailed attention to the economy of Slovenia – potential business opportunities, status of the Slovenian economy, as well as detailed presentation of certain sectors and companies. In addition, other countries will have the opportunity to present not only their economies but also potential and existing economic cooperation with Slovenian companies. How do you think this will help Slovenian companies? In SGF meetings we will obtain current information on economic developments and potential business opportunities both in Slovenia and in the countries represented at the meetings. Slovenian companies will be able to give presentations at meetings and in that way try to arrange business contacts. This is important since Slovenia does not have a diplomatic representation in some of

the countries attending – and some are also geographically distant. So it is an ideal opportunity for Slovenian businesses to get first hand information about those markets. The meetings in Vienna are designed to effectively bring these countries to Slovenia, and vice versa. At a time when the global drop in foreign direct investment is expected to last for the next couple of years at least, how hard and how important is it for Slovenian embassies to step up their efforts in promoting their country to potential investors? In times of crisis, the role of economic diplomacy in opening doors to different markets is even more important than usual. Economic diplomacy is one of the

priorities of the foreign ministry, and particular attention is being paid to parts of the world where the Slovenian economy is not yet present and where the potential for economic co-operation is unrealised. Trade between Slovenia with the SGF countries in 2009 was around EUR 7 billion, which represents only about 2.3% of the total trade of Slovenia. In addition to activities which promote the internationalisation of the Slovenian economy, all Slovenian diplomatic missions and consular posts endeavour to promote Slovenia as an investment destination. With the creation of SGF we see an additional opportunity to present Slovenia as an interesting and reliable business partner.

In SGF meetings we will obtain current information on economic developments and potential business opportunities both in Slovenia and in the countries represented at the meetings. Slovenian companies will be able to give presentations at meetings and in that way try to arrange business contacts.

Mediterranean Ports’ Contribution to Climate Change Mitigation

The Port of Koper is a good example how European projects can work towards providing an enhanced quality of life for the local population and the planet as a whole.

By encouraging Mediterranean ports to foster the more rational use of energy in order to achieve sustainable development and combat climate change through reducing greenhouse emissions, Climeport is a project which commenced in 2008 within the framework of the EU’s Mediterranean Program. Six Mediterranean ports - Marseilles (France), Koper (Slovenia), Piraeus (Greece) Livorno (Italy) as well as Valencia and Algeciras (Spain), are co-operating within the context of the Climeport project to diagnose their influence on climate change, this with the aim of creating action plans to reduce the impact of port operations on the environment. Among the project partners are also a number of organizations active in the field of energy consumption reduction - such as the Valencia Energy Agency (Spain), Goriška Local Energy Agency (Slovenia), Electricity Technical Institute (Spain) - which are not only providing know-how, but

are disseminating the project’s results amongst peer organizations throughout the continent. The ports directly involved in this project handle almost twenty percent of total Mediterranean maritime traffic. All participants are aware that the environmental problem is not a matter of a single player, but a global challenge; for which reason they are working together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from both terminal operations and vessels, as well as in such spheres as innovative transport and energy efficiency. An extensive benchmarking process is currently underway. On 30th March 2010 the Project Partners gathered in Koper to hear about best practice identification with the focus on the reduction of energy consumption and waste generation, together with the introduction of renewable energy sources in port zones. A common approach and methodology for CO2 footprint evaluation was also presented.

www.climeport.com April 2010

22 FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT

Ydria Motors

A good example In recent years there has been much talk about the possibility of Slovenia losing out to its competitors for foreign direct investment (FDI). Companies who are already here, however, are quick to point out the strengths of the country. Take Ydria Motors. The company, a manufacturer of motors for household appliances, found Slovenia to be the perfect location in which to create a new manufacturing base. By Maja Dragović

dria Motors was first established in 1993 as a joint venture between German firm Alcatel SEL and Slovene partner Rotomatika d.o.o., Spodnja Idrija. In September 2001, the business became entirely German owned when ebm-papst – Alcatel SEL’s successor company – bought out Rotomatika’s share. As an organisation with an international customer base, and one operating with fierce worldwide competition, ebm-papst’s long-term strategy has been to strengthen its international manufacturing bases. When the time came to construct a new facility for the manufacture of tangential blowers and hot-air convection fans, many locations were considered. Hungary and the Czech Republic were both on the

The Slovenia Times

Ydria Motors exports its products, produced in Slovenia, across the world

short list. But, thanks to its good base of young, well-skilled technical and commercial experts and a network of local sub-suppliers for components and manufacturing

equipment Slovenia quickly became the leading contender. Other advantages were the country’s geographic location and well-developed infrastructure.

There was only one main drawback: the country’s relatively high cost of labour. It was an issue that was quickly addressed thanks to government incentives. An Inward Investment Cost-Sharing Grant from the Republic of Slovenia made it much easier for ebm-papst to limit the impact of the higher labour costs – and capitalise on the many advantages the country offers. And so the decision to base the new facility in Slovenia was made. It was a decision that created 124 new jobs – bringing Ydria Motors’ overall workforce to more than 500 people. It now produces over ten million items per year and generates more than EUR 40m in sales. It’s safe to say its Slovenian story has been one of success.

An early commitment to information and communication technology (ICT) as one of Slovenia’s national development priorities has created a country at the forefront of ICT in the region. In 2008, some 2,825 companies were operating in the sector, each earning an average revenue of around EUR 1m. The industry has even managed to weather the recession fairly effectively. But is enough being done to consolidate and further enhance Slovenia’s status as one of South Eastern Europe’s most IT savvy nations? By Igor Drakulič and Claire Read

n 2008, the European Commission published its Digital Competitiveness Report. The document reviewed progress in Europe’s digital sector since 2005, coincidentally the year in which Slovenia became a member of the European Union. A whole host of statistics within the report showed Slovenia, the new kid on the EU

block, to already be an impressively advanced member of the digital society. Take the rate of broadband access. According to the report, half of households in Slovenia had access to this sort of high-speed internet connection in 2008. This was not only a significantly higher rate than most of the countries

which joined the EU alongside Slovenia in 2005 – it was also five percent higher than the rate in Ireland, an EU member for almost forty years.

Weathering the storm The report highlights the benefits that have been reaped from Slovenia’s ongoing commitment

to the sphere of information and communication technology (ICT). It’s a commitment which has not just led to high levels of ICT usage amongst its citizens but also to an ICT sector which is considered to be one of the country’s most active industries. It’s an industry which, of course, has had to face the global economApril 2010

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL

Further to Go

Photo: Dreamstime

ICT SPECIAL

24 ICT SPECIAL

There may be trouble ahead... The statistics, the contracts and the ambitious pledges – late last year, for instance, the head of the Directorate for Information Society promised all houses would have a broadband connection within three years – make it look as though Slovenia’s advanced ICT status is safe. But dig beneath the surface and it’s apparent that risks are there. For one, there is a significant ICT trade deficit. Exports in the industry reached EUR 322.1m in 2008, undoubtedly an impressive figure. But imports totalled EUR 411.2m, leaving a trade gap of almost EUR 90m.

Taxing times Those figures make it clear that there is further development

to project managers, system and development engineers to information system planning experts, analysts to marketing professionals – and many believe the main reason is an ongoing failure to interest the next generation in the ICT industry. The number of ICT study programmes in Slovenia remains relatively small. Those that do exist have a high-drop out rate, meaning they create a depressingly low number of computer whizzkids. The creation of the new Faculty of Computer Science and Informatics, meanwhile, has been beset with difficulties.

Statistical view of Slovenian ICT industry (in 2008) ICT services

ICT production

Total

Number of companies

2153

672

2825

Number of employees

12858

11812

24670

1599

901

2500

742685

1340774

1041729

424

289

713

32976

24466

28721

Revenue (in what?) Average revenue per company Added value (EUR m) Average added value per employee

needed in Slovenia’s ICT market – both in the services available within the country, and in efforts made to export those services. Many are working hard to achieve just such progress. ZITex, a group of more than 70 exportorientated Slovenian ICT companies, has set an ambitious target to increase exports by 100 percent in the next five years. The group is making particular efforts to help small and medium size businesses penetrate foreign markets, particularly in South Eastern and Central Europe, Russia and the Middle East. ZITex’s overriding aim is to increase high tech exports from six to 15 percent of Slovenia’s GDP. But many fear that there are a variety of factors constraining the development of the country’s ICT sector. One important one is the tricky issue of earnings. Individuals working in the information technology and communication sector tend to command high salaries. Around 85 percent of ICT experts earn more than EUR 1,000 a month. A third take home more than EUR 1,400. Those comparatively high figures, many argue, are one significant problem facing the Slovenian ICT industry.

According to Dušan Zupančič, director of the Association for IT and Telecommunication of Slovenia: “The development of ICT companies is not fast enough because of high taxes on earnings. ICT experts are highly educated and highly sought after, so their earnings are high. “High earnings and high taxes are a burden for our companies, and because of that our workers are less competitive, and Slovenia is less attractive for direct foreign investments.”

Contradictions These problems leave Slovenia as a country of ICT contradictions. On the one hand, this is a nation which has been – and in many ways remains – committed to developing this sector. It’s a land where close to three quarters of households have access to a PC. It’s a home to almost 3,000 ICT companies. And yet it is a land struggling to interest its young people in careers in information and communication technology. It is a place struggling to provide the working conditions expected by existing ICT experts. It is a nation with a significant ICT trade deficit. Can these issues be resolved? Most hope so. Because until they are, it’s impossible to avoid the feeling that Slovenia’s status as an advanced ICT nation is somewhat under threat.

The next generation Work to make the industry more attractive to foreign investors is ongoing. But there is another key group to which the sector needs to be made attractive: students. There is a constant shortage of ICT experts in the country – companies are desperately looking for everything from programmers

ICT uptake in Slovenia The European Commission’s Digital Competitiveness Report showed that Slovenia’s take-up of most eBusiness applications was higher than average. Notable exceptions included human resources services, e-invoices, and customer relation management solutions.

Source: www.ris.org

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL

ic downturn. But it has weathered it better than most. While some organisations have cut back IT budgets or sought to delay system updates, others have realised that ICT can be a way to create added value and use financial, material and human resources in the most effective way possible. And in spite of the recession 2009 saw some significant new IT projects launched nationally. The Health Insurance Institute, for instance, announced that it was to roll out a new nationwide electronic health insurance card system. IBM was selected to provide hardware, software and services for the project, which was commissioned following the successful completion of a pilot. The first quarter of last year even saw the sale of computers grow slightly – in stark contrast to the sharp declines seen in regional neighbours such as Serbia and Croatia.

Percentage of households with broadband in 2009 80

70 60 50

40 30 20

10 0

Swe

The Slovenia Times

Den

Fin

Lux

Ger

Malta

Bel

Est

Aus

Fra

Slo

Ire

Pol

Spain

Hun

Lit

Lat

Cz. R

Cyp

Por

Svk

Italy

Bul

Rom

WEB Officer

DESKTOP Officer

PHONE Officer

NT konferenca is the largest Slovenian business and technology event where each year developers, IT professionals and business decision makers engage with the latest technologies, solutions and services. With 132 sessions and 12 workshops spanning four days you will have an opportunity to see the latest products, services and advanced technologies that can be used anywhere and anytime. Visit www.ntk.si for more information.

www.ntk.si

Microsoft d.o.o., Ĺ martinska cesta 140, 1000 Ljubljana

V PORTOROĹ˝U OD 24. DO 27. MAJA 2010

26 ICT SPECIAL

Interview: Giovanni Di Filippo

Education is Key With its compact size and speedy uptake of new technologies, Slovenia is a promising market for IT companies. Retaining and enhancing that status – and preparing for future technological developments – will be a matter of focusing on education, according to Giovanni Di Filippo, Managing Director Emerging Market East at networking giant Cisco. By Claire Read

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL

tion within the European Union, its well developed higher education environment. The next step would be to pick priorities: be it smart grids for the utility sector, healthcare, cloud computing or other areas, bring together various players from the market, create a think tank and start building those pilots.

Giovanni Di Filippo, Managing Director Emerging Market East at networking giant Cisco

Interestingly, whilst in the 1990s and early 2000s employees were dependent on whatever communications tools and business applications their IT departments were willing to introduce, nowadays it is more and more the end-users who are defining where technology should be going.

The Slovenia Times

Slovenia is regarded by Cisco as an emerging market. How quickly is it growing? A small, but open economy, I believe Slovenia’s GDP will get back on a growth track during 2010. Whilst no sector remained untouched by the crisis, our customers are starting to see how IT can help them change and improve their operational and business models and lay the foundations for the future. Over the past decades, IT has been an important driver of productivity. Today, in an increasingly connected economy, networks – which are the core of Cisco’s business – are the centrepiece of communication and collaboration across businesses and countries. How easy is it to apply new technologies in Slovenia and the rest of South East Europe? Are people receptive to new IT solutions? Your country is quickly embracing new technologies, which is also shown by the fact that Slovenia has one of the highest internet and broadband penetration rates in the region. And this is a key in-

dicator as the internet is becoming the platform not only for business transactions but also for innovation and knowledge transfer. According to Cisco’s chief futurist Dave Evans, today we know 5 percent of what we will know in 50 years. In other words, in 50 years, 95 percent of what we will know will have been discovered in the past 50 years. To remain competitive in this new, knowledge-based society, education is key. There needs to be a dialogue between the public and private sectors to define which jobs and skills will be the most needed over the next 10-20 or even 50 years. And [we then need to] make sure that the education sector – including all levels, from primary schools to universities – is ready to develop talent accordingly. You’ve previously said Slovenia is an ideal country in which to pilot IT projects. Why is this, and what does the country need to do to promote these benefits to IT companies? There are a few factors in favour of Slovenia: the size of the country and the population, its integra-

Research has suggested that the more IT literate a population, the bigger the GDP. How IT literate is Slovenia at the moment? What can be done to further increase familiarity with IT and IT solutions? The World Economic Forum’s annual Networked Readiness Index includes some interesting data on ICT usage in various groups in society. In last year’s report, Slovenia ranked 29 out of 134 countries in terms of ICT usage. The ranking for private individuals was even better than the country average: 27th out of 134 nations. So Slovenia is in a good position, but education is key for maintaining or even improving this ranking. Again, this is not only the responsibility of the public sector; the private sector needs to take its share [of responsibility] as well. With current speeds of technology development, we as businesses need to contribute to knowledge transfer. One example is the Cisco Networking Academy, which teaches students aged 16 and above how they can design, configure, build and operate networks. In Slovenia, we have five academies and over 500 students participating in the programme. These students get the latest knowledge on what’s new in networking technologies. Cisco’s vision is that ‘If it can be connected to the Internet, it can be green’. How are the company’s IT solutions improving the environment in Slovenia and the rest of South East Europe? Our green strategy is built on four pillars: operations, products, architectures and employees. In operations, we are aiming at reducing business travel by the usage of virtual collaboration technologies, such as Cisco TeleP-

resence or Cisco WebEx. We are also continuously reducing the power consumption in our labs and data centres. In products, we are focusing both on sustainable product design as well as the energy efficiency of our systems. At the same time, we are developing complete architectures, such as SmartGrids and Smart and Connected Communities, where we are providing solutions to our customers to address major environmental issues – think of intelligent energy distribution or the issues faced by larger cities. Finally, we believe that being green is also an element of our culture. We organize eScrap collection programs – where our employees can bring obsolete electronic equipment to the local office and we organise its proper collection – and many other initiatives in our local offices.

In the past decade, the evolution of networking solutions and the massive growth of the inter-

What is the most important IT issue that Slovenian companies should be thinking about? There is an interesting development going on today, which we refer to as “the user taking charge”. Interestingly, whilst in the 1990s and early 2000s employees were dependent on whatever communications tools and business applications their IT departments were willing to introduce, nowadays it is more and more the end-users who are defining where technolo-

gy should be going. [They] expect IT departments to give them better, more efficient communication and collaboration tools. The lines between a home and a company user are blurring as we are more and more used to networking and collaborating through a wealth of internetbased applications – including social media and video. The internet generation is entering the workplace, and we better be prepared to welcome them with a 21st century communication and collaboration environment.

Cisco Networking Academy teaches students how they can design, configure, build and operate networks.

ELTI - Digital broadcasting for today and tomorrow - transmitting together ELTI’s exciting story of electronic expertise started more than half a century ago. It’s a story which is now evolving thanks to a new challenge: the implementation of digital video broadcasting terrestrial (DVB-T) technologies as analogue switch-off occurs. Today ELTI offers a complete digital network solution for tomorrow. It is a solution which consists of ELTI’s range of low to high power SKY digital transmitters and ARX digital repeaters with our antenna systems and combiners. To ensure optimal transmission performance, ELTI has developed the HALO digital SFN repeater – a system that effectively fills in the gaps in existing digital networks. SKY digital transmitters and ARX digital repeaters with up to 10kW output power can be supplied with an air cooling or liquid cooling system. The entire scope of antenna systems in ELTI’s portfolio is produced according to broadcasters’ input and can be planned as omnidirectional or directional patterns. ELTI also offer a variety installation services all over the world. Of course, new networks and technologies such as DVB-T2 demand completely new solutions that will satisfy the requirements of tomorrow’s broadcast market. Smooth transition from analogue to digital – ELTI transmitting together.

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ELTI presents high quality solutions for leading broadcasters around the world. The company is situated on a 3880 m2 plot in the city of Gornja Radgona, and provides work for almost 100 employees. Its broadcasting equipment is the product of 55 years’ worth of experience in research, production and worldwide deployment – the equipment can be found in more than 53 countries around the world. Recently, ELTI has been involved in building up digital networks in Finland, Estonia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Ireland, Croatia, Russia and many more. ELTI’s research and development department employs 22 engineers who strive to place the company at the forefront of technology. The division is registered as a Development Group at the Ministry of Science and Technology in Slovenia and co-operation on specific projects with the universities in Maribor and Ljubljana is already producing great results. The team is giving special focus to newly developed solutions in the field of liquid cooled power amplifiers – shown to give the best efficiency in the digital broadcasting field. This project has also been recognised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia with a silver innovation medal.

April 2010

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL

Cisco prides itself on being socially responsible. How is it meeting this aim in Slovenia? Our most important programme where we are giving back to society is Cisco Networking Academy. But our local office is also there where the community needs it: be it with our own physical work or donations for people in need.

net both radically altered the way in which we do business – particularly with international colleagues. What are going to be the next big IT developments which will change the way we look at communication? We see three major trends impacting business: video, collaboration and virtualisation. In today’s supply-chain driven economies, real time collaboration across organisations is key, and more and more of this collaboration is happening via video, which is the most natural form of human communication. At the same time, people want to access their tools, data, information anytime, anywhere, from any device. Virtualisation, hand in hand with cloud computing, is therefore another major trend.

Photo: Dreamstime

ICT SPECIAL 27

28 ICT SPECIAL

Bled Forum

Going Beyond Borders Information society experts from around the region gathered in Bled in early March for the eleventh annual Bled Forum. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the future of the information society. But, according to Blaž Golob and Jerome C. Glenn, a new format at this year’s event as well as strong links with a global information project mean the forum is much more than a brief meeting of minds. By Maja Dragović

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL

foresight exercise. It is an exercise that briefs about knowledge-based governance. The participants were all key people in the region – whether policymakers, representatives from relevant institutions, members of private sector companies with potential or staff from non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The participants were selected together with the Regional Cooperational Council which is a successor for the former Stability Pact for South East Europe. What happens after the training, do you follow up on that? The training is preparation for a designated project. In previous years, we ran training programmes that included awareness building, capacity building and training. But this year we decided to run a workshop during which we designed a project with a view to attracting attention from the European Commission, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Regional Cooperational Council and the Millennium Project. So when you ask what the follow up is – the follow up is a concrete project involving the identification of priorities for a knowledge based society and economy development for the western Balkans by 2020. Jerome C. Glenn

The Millennium Project is a global brain picking system. The people who are chosen to gather information are not selected by our headquarters but instead are selected within the culture, within the language, within the sensitivity around the world. The Slovenia Times

What countries participated at the Bled forum this year? All together 16 countries participated this year. The majority of participants came from the region of South East Europe, including all countries from the western Balkans. We also had attendees from India and USA. The topic was the future of the information society and challenges for good governance. Those attending from India presented a very interesting case in that their country is very advanced in information society development, particularly from the perspective of human capacity. What is the set up and the purpose of the forum? As part of the forum we had two events. One was the annual forum that lasts two days. Prior to that we had a workshop for a

What is the Millennium Project? The Millennium Project is a global system and it is a leader in several areas. Firstly, we produce what is called futures research methodology 3.0. This is the largest selection of methods to look at the future that has ever been assembled internationally. We are constantly updating it and it has become like a manual for other people to use. Secondly we demonstrated global futures research is possible. When we began our pre-feasibility study in 1992, futurists did not think global futures research was possible. Now, nobody says it is impossible. Third, we have operationalised the phrase global/local by having nodes around the world. A node is an intersection of two or

more networks. For example, the Bled Forum itself is a node of the Millennium Project. It has some people from government, some people from universities, some from NGOs, and some from UN systems. The idea is that a node should be an intersection of networks of different kinds of institutions. We have 33 of these around the world and it is slowly growing. What is the idea behind the Millennium Project and how does it work? The Millennium Project is a global brain picking system. The people who are chosen to gather information are not selected by

Blaž Golob

our headquarters but instead are selected within the culture, within the language, within the sensitivity around the world. It’s a process which means you can have a local expert putting their ideas into a global system. The global system then gives feedback to that individual person. The individual person then can relate to their individual work to the nodes. Around 2,500 people who have participated in our research were selected by that process. Having these nodes around the world is a management answer to the phrase global/local. We are the first decentralised global participatory think tanks. We are also cutting across ideologies. For example, we have a node in Tehran, and we also have a node in Tel Aviv. So the idea is a think tank on behalf of humanity, not on behalf of individual countries, ideologies, parties and so forth. The idea is the greater collective intelligence of the global future. Could you give us an example where a methodology has been created in one country and then applied in another? One of the methodologies we invented is called Real Time Delphi. It’s a software system that can very

quickly assess and create feedback systems for improving decisions. That is being used right now throughout Latin America because the region is celebrating the 200th anniversary of its independence and wants to rethink its future by using Real Time Delphi software. The software is also used by the World Bank to evaluate global environmental facilities. The state of the future index is another method we invented and we have done this in Turkey, parts of China have done it, South Korea has also done it, and Azerbaijan is doing one now. We have also done comparative ones for Latin America. So there is a technique we have developed and it is replicated around the world. What about a regional example? A good example would be from Turkey foresight exercise on vision 2023. From the scientific point of view, a local research agency, has done analysis where they see Turkey by 2023 by using future index methodologies. The outcome of their research effectively had an impact on the government’s policy measure. Currently, we are doing a foresight research in the future of Romani’s higher education. The research focuses on how Romania, an EU member state, sees the development of their higher education system by 2020. How easy is it to get various parties to participate in IT projects that ultimately empower people in giving them more information? After all, it means that they are better educated; it means that they will want change in certain areas and in the western Balkans not everybody wants to go forward. It is very easy in some respects and very difficult in others. First, you have to define a common interest and when you do that with different stakeholders, you go beyond nationality. The common interest in the region is better economies, better employment, better education and access to jobs. That is beyond politics. But today, if you want to achieve this, you need cross border cooperation because markets in the western Balkans are so fragmented that if you do it in a national scale, you fail. Of course there are challenges otherwise we wouldn’t have anything to work with. The real challenge is that the countries are fragmented and they are setting the agendas by themselves. Each country is affected by political elites. So the challenge is to go beyond political elites.

30 ICT SPECIAL

New technologies

Europe’s Silicon Valley? A group of Slovenian high tech entrepreneurs working in California has a big idea: to make the land of their birth the Silicon Valley of Europe. A pipedream? Not necessarily. It’s a plan that is gaining high profile support. By Claire Read hub – Silicon Valley is far away and hard to get to; London too expensive. “This gap in Eastern Europe represents an ideal opportunity to create an ‘innovation haven’ – the 21st century equivalent of ‘tax havens’ that countries like Switzerland leveraged in the 20th century.”

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL

Time for change

Andrej Nabergoj believes Slovenia’s IT industry needs an update

ndrej Nabergoj has a history of thinking big. In 1999, at the age of 23, he decided to co-found an information technology business. E-business provider Parsek now employs over 60 people. Its Koper-born co-founder has gone on to set up businesses around the world and be named by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader. His latest big idea may just be his most audacious yet. Nabergoj, along with other Slovenian IT entrepreneurs living and working in the US, has hatched a plan he hopes will establish Slovenia as the Silicon Valley of Europe.

To create such a haven, Nabergoj believes a new economy platform must be established on both the regulatory and organisational level. The former would involve employment, tax and immigration policy reform; the latter creation of a private-public partnership to leverage access to financial and social capital. He argues such changes are long overdue – and crucial if Slovenia is to thrive in a changing world. “Slovenia is still largely ‘old economy-based’,” contends Nabergoj. “There is no doubt that most of the industries that contribute to our GDP today will be eroded in the next 20 years.” And he sees Slovenia’s current IT industry as part of the problem. “It’s so 20th century,” he argues. “It consists mostly of large, old IT companies that spawned from ruling political structures to service the government or governmentinfluenced companies. There is no innovation there. They have never been in touch with global markets.” His conclusion? “Slovenia needs to reinvent itself – and it needs to do it fast.”

“This gap in Eastern Europe represents an ideal opportunity to create an ‘innovation haven’ – the An opportunity Heavyweight backers 21st century equivalent of At first glance it seems an imIt’s a verdict he has presented to ‘tax havens’ that countries possibly ambitious concept. But several influential figures and one like Switzerland leveraged consider that Slovenia is already which is gaining heavyweight supone of the more IT-savvy nations in the 20th century.” in the region – a status the government is committed to enhancing – and it quickly seems less outlandish. Nabergoj believes there is now a clear gap in the market for an East European IT hub. “Silicon Valley is the global hub for the creation of new economy industries,” he explains. “Western European entrepreneurs gravitate towards London. But Eastern Europe with its vast engineering tradition and talent has no regional

The Slovenia Times

port. Last month, Prime Minister Borut Pahor hinted the government would back the proposal. “I’ve seen the project draft recently,” he said, “and I’m enthusiastic.” Nabergoj says such support is critical if the idea is to succeed. “You cannot reinvent the economy when the policies in place are so anti-entrepreneurial,” he says. “Risk is heavily discouraged, there is no labour mobility, immigration is hard, taxes are among the highest in the world.”

Learn from the masters The Prime Minister isn’t the only high profile figure interested in Nabergoj’s vision. Ambassador to the US Roman Kirn and director of the Slovenian Technology Agency Franc Gider recently visited the original Silicon Valley. The pair examined ways Slovenia can boost its development of high technologies and support native companies wanting to do business with California. This will be considered further when government and National Assembly representatives visit Silicon Valley later this year. Meanwhile thought is being given to opening a Slovenian representative office or a consulate on the West coast of America. Such developments may just help bring Nabergoj’s latest big idea closer to reality. The man himself firmly believes a Silicon Valley-like hub will be created in a Central European county in the near future. “There is a gap,” he says. “The only question now is which country will fill it.” He has high hopes that the answer to that question will be Slovenia .

ICT SPECIAL 31

Who Is Afraid of IT Outsourcing?

Outsourcing is becoming increasingly popular with Slovenian companies. There are two key reasons why: companies who let an outside partner handle their IT can focus on developing their main activity and on higher growth, enabling cost optimisation in the long run. Despite all this however, the decision to outsource is never easy. There are important questions that present themselves: Where will my data be? Who can see it? What about security? What about long-term collaboration?

Both the client and the service provider must be aware of these and many other issues. Outsourcing of IT services is not a shortterm story, but requires a great deal of professionalism and trust. A company may decide to transfer its information system to the outsourcer partially or in full. It may hire various levels of information technology ranging from premises, server infrastructure, and disk space to applications and end-user support. It is important to have a long-term partnership where the service provider and its service become an integral part of the client’s business operations, seeing that the client’s success often becomes dependent on the level of the quality of this collaboration.

Added value = solution to a business problem

www.snt.si Consulting. Integration. Outsourcing.

Consulting. Integration. Outsourcing.

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL

To perform outsourcing well and to create a solid foundation for the client’s success, it is important that the outsourcer is completely familiar with the client’s main activity in terms of content and processes. This allows an outsourcer to offer advice to the client. IT consultancy can only be successful when its content is focused on the areas of the companies’ main activities. In-depth knowledge of the client, his operations and the industry he belongs to is of key importance for a consultant. But what is the added value of an outside consultant or an outsourcer to the client? You need a solution to a business problem. How can this be achieved? By incorporating consultancy as part of the solution provided by the outsourcer. This is actually an indirect performance of consultancy through the introduction of an information solution. It is important to note that the level of consultancy increases together with the complexity and the

level of the solution, that is, the level of services and products that are included in the solution. A comprehensive offer is now available on the Slovenian market Outsourcing of individual functions has been present in the area of information technology for quite some time now, but the appearance of large global providers of cloud computing information capacities is giving outsourcing entirely new dimensions. It is gradually transforming from an individual service to a more comprehensive offering, which the clients can simply hire as an IT service and transparently incorporate in their business processes. The Slovenian market is no exception to this. There are already many providers offering a wide array of information technology services today and new services are gradually being designed – services that render internal systemic IT environments unnecessary, replacing their function with a hired service. Such services release the client from having to deal with technologies, processes and personnel that are not a constituent part of his main business process, leaving him free to allocate his development energy into the business aspects of information technology use, thus creating added value for the IT company.

Neizprosen konkurenčni boj na trgu … Ostre zahteve poslovnega sveta … Omejeni finančni in drugi viri …

Rešitev? Usmerite se v svoje primarne poslovne pro pa prepustite zunanjim, specializiranim izvajalcem!

Neizprosen konkurenčni boj na trgu … Fierce competition on the market… Ostre zahteve svetaworld… … Tough demandsposlovnega of the business Omejenifinancial finančniand in drugi … Limited other viri resources…

Kako? Odgovor boste izvedeli v sredo, 21. aprila 20 hotelu Union Executive, na dogodku

OUTSOURCING KLJUČ DO VEČJE Trends in– the field of external Trende na področju zunanjega Solution? Focus solely your primarne primary operations, and leaveIT-podporo Rešitev? Usmerite se vonsvoje poslovne procese, management of IT-services and IT-support to external, specialised partners! izvajanja IT-storitev in primere pa prepustite zunanjim, specializiranim izvajalcem!

KONK

good practice examples will be

More info on the event is available on www.snt.si.

Več informacij o dogodku najdete na www.snt.si.

Phone: +386 (0)1 5855 200 info@snt.si S&T Slovenija d.d. www.snt.si Leskoškova cesta 6, 1000 Ljubljana

tel. (01) 5855 200 | info@snt.si | www.snt.si

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dobrih praks vam bodo predstavili presented by S&Tnajdete Slovenija experts. Več informacij o dogodku na www.snt.si. How? The answer will be revealed on Wednesday, 21 April 2010, strokovnjaki S&T Slovenija. Kako? Odgovor boste izvedeli v sredo, 21. aprila 2010, v Grand Join us and together we will find the in Grand Hotel Union Executive, at key to a betterse competitiveness! hotelu Union Executive, na dogodku Pridružite nam in skupaj z nami poiščite S&T Slovenija d.d. ključ do večje OUTSOURCING – A KEY TO A BETTER COMPETITIVENESS. Leskoškova cesta 6, 1000 Ljubljana konkurenčnosti! OUTSOURCING – KLJUČ DO VEČJE KONKURENČNOSTI.

April 2010

32 ICT SPECIAL

ZITex

Internationalisation is the Key Slovenian ICT companies are aware of the importance of expansion in foreign markets, knowing it is a key generator of further growth of the sector. An association of Slovenian ICT companies is working together to bring about just such expansion. By Maja Dragović

Getting competitive Since the domestic market is quite small, many Slovenian IT companies will only achieve long

ZITex plans to help Slovenian IT companies to increase their exports by 100% within the next five years

term survival if they successfully internationalise. Until now, the notable successes abroad were mainly harvested by ICT companies that had sufficient means for such breakthroughs. At the moment, the average ICT company in Slovenia has a history of 10 to 15 years of operation, mostly in the domestic market. This is what ZITex aims to change. The organisation’s mediumterm objective is to increase the exports of its members by 100 percent within five years, representing around 15 per cent growth on an annual basis. The most important targets for expansion are, according to the association’s mem-

Something fishy going on The travel paths of Slovenian fish can now be precisely traced thanks to an innovative new technology system. i-Track Solutions – who specialise in the development of tracking and tracing software – have worked with the Slovenian Fishing Council to create the system. It will mean that all fish in Slovenian waters will be tracked from when they enter to when they leave. In the past, i-Track have used radio frequency identification to, for instance, track beer barrels in the brewing industry or GPS to track printed publications being delivered to individuals. But the system developed for the Slovenian Fishing Council represents one of the most interesting uses of the company’s technology yet. The Slovenia Times

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL

ITex was founded on the initiative of a group of Slovenian export-oriented companies. All were already present on foreign markets both within and beyond the region but saw the potential of joining together to increase exports. And so, in March 2008, the Association for Information Technology and Telecommunications in the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce created ZITex. The organisation works towards establishing partnerships and cooperation with governmental institutions. The aim: to create a stimulating environment for IT companies in Slovenia while also promoting international networking. “The organisation supports the interests of Slovenian ICT companies on joint action in foreign markets, with special attention being given to small and mediumsized enterprises”, explains Dušan Zupančič, director of the Association for IT and Telecommunication of Slovenia. “Through activities, joint efforts and synergy of collective action, we have established better business opportunities for Slovenian exports of ICT products and services.” There are no restrictions on membership – any company with ambitions to expand abroad can join.

bers, the markets of the Adriatic region, those in South and Central Europe, and that of Russia. Of more distant countries, there is a growing importance for expansion in the Middle East. The long-term goal is to implement activities and efforts to ensure public support, allowing Slovenia to raise hightech exports from the current six percent to 15 percent overall. “Obviously, competitiveness is a virtue of successful companies and is conditioned by the market a company operates in,” Zupančič says. “In the current trend of globalisation, Slovenian ICT companies can be judged on their performance and be more competitive mainly in an international market.” In other words, internationalisation is now the key instrument to raise the competitiveness of Slovenian ICT companies. “The more a company expands geographically, the more-focused and competitive its bid must be”, adds Zupančič. “The opening up of the Slovenian economic space as well as support initiatives at the European and national level are an im-

portant Slovenian incentive that can expand the business of ICT companies.”

A good starting point And as an industry generally regarded as one of the country’s most vigorous, it seems Slovenia’s ICT industry is well positioned to increase its operations abroad. “Its well-developed ICT infrastructure and human capital are a result of an early commitment to making ICT one of the national development priorities”, says Zupančič. “Thanks to its geographical position and decades of fostering economic links with its neighbours, Slovenia is in a position to efficiently serve markets in the region.” Many international companies are taking advantage of this. The number of foreign businesses setting up their regional hubs in Slovenia is rising, thanks to the expertise of local managers, sales forces and field engineers and their indepth knowledge of regional markets. It seems ZITex’s efforts to internationalise the Slovenian ICT industry are already bearing fruit.

EXPO VENICE, ITALY APRIL 15-18

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LIFESTYLE

Team building

The Team is a Living Organism As the phrase suggests, team building means exactly that - building a team. And since a team is made of people, the phrase can be interpreted as building relations between people in a certain team. By Eva Ferjan

he team is defined as a small group of people, with certain membership, who work in mutual dependence for fulfilment of a common goal employing their complementary knowledge, skills, and abilities. However, having participants with required knowledge, skills and abilities merely assembled together and assigning a common task or a common goal to them is not enough for effective team work. Because a team that has been made also needs to develop just like every living organism. - members need to get to know each other, acquire common interpersonal experience and gradually build the most suitable and most effective working The Slovenia Times

methods liked by all. Due to the nature of work and preoccupation with work issues, work teams often run out of time for team building and team bond development. Therefore, events such as “team building” represent a kind of intervention that is meant to encourage the relations development between team members.

The beginnings of Team Building The beginnings of team building date back to the 1920s when the psychologist Elton Mayo carried out research into effects of sur rou ndi ngs on employees’ work in Howthorne company. At

first he had focused on effects of light. He noticed, however, how significantly the work itself had been affected if people had been under observation. He began to observe and research effects of interpersonal relations in the workplace and concluded that their effect on work efficiency is stronger than physical surroundings themselves. Consequently, the findings brought about the development of different team building programmes, which encourage interpersonal relations among employees in their workplace. In the past decade, team building events have also become more popular in Slovenia. Terminologi-

cally speaking, there is a good deal of disarray in this field because very diverse programmes are promoted and sought for under this term. All of them in a certain way stimulate building and strengthening ties between employees in the workplace. Let’s take a look at various programmes we find under the term team building:

In-formal social gatherings The broadest but not most precise meaning of the word defines team building as all the events encouraging informal socialising of employees or members of a

LIFESTYLE 35 certain team. Relaxed relations in the workplace have a positive effect on atmosphere and well-being of people, but not necessarily on their work efficiency. This broad, lay category of “team buildings” includes former trade-union excursions, sports excursions such as going bowling, rafting, and common barbecues, dinners etc. These kind of get-togethers are mostly useful for teams as it stimulates people to get to know each other and consolidate informal ties with their colleagues. Nevertheless, such social gatherings have weaknesses as well. Because socialising is completely down to participants themselves, it often happens that subgroups are formed. During the event people who are already more acquainted with each other, socialise and thus do not manage to get to know others more closely. In addition, if a conflict within a team already exists, it can worsen, or even a new grudge may arise. The latter is not the rule, however. In our culture social gatherings and excessive alcohol drinking go often hand in hand, and consequently quite a few unpredicted, unpleasant situations may develop.

Entertaining team buildings – common challenges The more accurate meaning of the word team building stands for events planned in such a way that team members deal with situations that compel them to cooperate with each other in various ways. Usually these include different forms of challenges which the whole team have to confront and only mutual cooperation, communication and adjustment among members can produce a successful solution. Such events are usually called entertaining team building. This kind of team buildings most

often appear in a form of various outdoor activities, sometimes in adrenaline parks, also in a city, indoors, halls, or in a form of art activities, cooking challenges, shooting a joint film etc. They are most effective when a team, already cooperating in the workplace, jointly attends the event.

Expertly guided team buildings In the narrowest meaning of the phrase team building, programmes are defined as expertly guided events deliberately planned to encourage a team’s development. In addition, there are numerous differences, highly varied methods and approaches also among expertly guided team buildings. Some people have given the name “team building” to workshops in the field of team work that mostly take place, even sedentary, in seminar halls. Most providers combine theoretical parts with practical tasks (physical activities in the nature, also indoors, cooking, being artistically creative, etc.). Some organise these programmes by giving a lecture on team work followed by practical team assignments, whereas others place a lecture in between, or start with a lecture, followed by assignments and finish with a recap with a final assessment of the team and discussions. There are very different approaches, yet, by opinion and experience of the writer of this text, the most efficient one is “the continuous learning through experience” approach continuously intertwining practical team assignments, their reflection, analyses and discussions. This approach teaches the general principles of teamwork, which would lead the team to recognition of their own common action at the workplace. Members become aware of their

Active practical tasks serve as a tool for concrete work on the team development

Team members can have fun while improving their interpersonal relationships

individual and group patterns of behaviour that may obstacle their action and ultimately they find a way to overcome them.

Confusion of the wide concept Due to the broad concept of team building and the offer of numerous truly diverse programmes called team building, individuals often get confused regarding what to expect from team building. The first response mentioning team building is often “oh, this is those games for companies”, while others immediately connect the term with adrenaline activities or even adrenaline parks.

The role of the management The management of a company plays an important role. It happens that the team manager calls and wants us to “do something with my team so that they will work better”, whereas they are not willing to take part in the team building. In this case it is definitely necessary to discuss with the manager in advance what they expect from team building, what is their approach to the management and what they think of team work. The team manager or management – in case of a large organisation – always plays an important role. Moreover, it is important that the manager or management understands the meaning and sense of team work in the company and encourages employees in this way. If the manager is not aware of the meaning of team work and is not willing to adapt their management style to the team work, sometimes even an extraordinary amount of effort dedicated to the team has no effect. In those cases it is better and “safer” for managers to organise for their employees social

gatherings or merely entertaining types of team buildings. (Changes, also positive, fear us to a certain extent because they threaten the existing practice although it has not been as successful as we may have wanted). For the actual establishment of more efficient team work in companies, the “top-down” approach to work is needed at all times. In case of a small business with only a few employees and in line with the manager team building for the entire team can be organised, while in case of large businesses it is better to start building team work from the top, i.e. with the management, and then move further down to individual groups of employees.

The purpose of the event When making a decision on the type of team building, it is always important to ask yourself about the purpose of the event. What do you want to achieve with team building? Once you know the answer, you can then explore the possibilities offered by team building providers and consult on what is best for you and your team.

Eva Ferjan is psychologist and professional team building coach at IKSA institute. (eva@teambuilding.si) April 2010

Postojna Cave

A Place of Unforgettable Experience Postojna Cave, a mysterious underground complex promises a whole new experience for team building adventures.

Types of team building in the Postojna Cave system: UNDERGROUND ADVENTURES - FUN TEAM BUILDING: • for companies and conference guests who wish to motivate and reward colleagues or partners and at the same time try something new and different;

• to improve the working atmosphere in a company or provide a quality way of spending time together outside the workplace.

TEAM BUILDING: • educational-analytical programme that via a set of exercises and games offers the client answers to questions or difficulties in a company’s team; • for companies and organisations that want a total insight into the functioning of their teams; • for managers who wish to eliminate difficulties or weaknesses in a team; • for managers who are aware that an advantage over competitors also depends on teamwork.

TEAM BUILDING with professionally designed programmes adapted to the needs of the client, the factors that mark a successful team are triggered and strengthened – cooperation, mutual support, commitment to a common goal, open communication and responsibility.

THE CAVE The famous Postojna Cave is one of the most beautiful subterranean caves in the world. It extends over almost 22 kilometres of stalagmite- and stalactitecovered passages, galleries and chambers, shaped by Nature over the course of millennia. You are transported into the beautifully illuminated and well-presented interior of the cave by a unique cave train, the only one of its kind in the world, and expert guides are on hand to make sure you enjoy your visit. A visit to the cave is a special experience: cave formations up to six hundred thousand years old hang from the ceiling (stalactites), grow from the floor (stalagmites), meet to form pillars, fold over into curtains or arrange themselves in sequences of fantastic shapes. This is only possible in the Karst underworld.

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Fun underground adventures such as cave trekking, treasure hunts, problemsolving and other subterranean activities are a genuine surprise! With a carbide lamp and caving equipment, you will have the time of your life. You can also take part in slightly more serious and demanding team building programmes. Cave team building is the only team building programme of its type in the world: under the expert guidance of experienced analysts, it includes the solving of physical and logical problems. All to encourage teamwork, increase group motivation and learn about reactions in unpredictable situations.

Turizem KRAS d.d. Jamska cesta 30 6230 Postojna T: +386 (0)5 700 01 00 info@turizem-kras.si www.turizem-kras.si

LIFESTYLE 37

Spa Treatment

Hop on the health train With the extreme hustle and bustle of life in the 21st century, it’s little wonder that we’re all desperate to recharge our batteries. For more and more of us, the traditional health treatments of faraway lands are one way in which to meet that aim. And thanks to globalisation, accessing such treatments is as easy as a visit to the local spa.

t Lifeclass Spa in Portorož, a n hou r ’s d r ive f rom Ljubljana, one of the most popular treatment techniques on offer is ayurveda. Translating as “the science of life”, ayurveda is India’s traditional medicine and adopts a holistic approach to health which many find attrac-

tive. It regards humans as having three energies: vata (air), pitta (bile) and kapha (phlegm) and as being the product of the balances of those different energies. An ayurvedic doctor almost always prescribes a combination of medicines (consisting of some 1,500 herbs, minerals and metals), de-

toxification, diet, yoga and meditation. Commitment and compliance on the part of the patient are essential. So the truly ayurvedic life is healthy living in the real sense of the word. But ayurvedic is not the only treatment from far off lands available in Slovenia. For a different

type of exotic treatment, step into the Pule Spa – which is on the way to Zagreb from Ljubljana. Nestled in the midst of the Dolenjska (Lower Carniola) hills and surrounded by lush forests and flowering meadows, the spa’s tranquil setting can’t help but make you feel as though you’re miles away from the stresses of everyday life. Some of the spa’s treatments are named after tulips, “not only because they are a flower representing beauty, desire and the elation of love, but also because of what they symbolise - life lies sleeping within a tulip bulb, waiting for a ray of sunshine to awaken the vibrant, colourful flower within”. And so while the 21st century might sometimes make us stressed beyond belief, there is a consolation – it also offers us exotic ways to recover... right on our doorstep. advertisment

Massage – A True Relaxation Recipe Working day stress brings about body stiffness manifested in pains, mobility problems and bad feeling. According to Ms Vesna Jankovič, the manager of Vitarium Spa Clinique centre in Terme Šmarješke Toplice spa, massage offers a natural and simplest method of psychophysical relaxation. Healthy Effects of Massages Massage has a variety of beneficial effects: it improves blood circulation making the body regenerate faster; alleviates stiffness, thus having a good effect on muscular and connective tissues; helps to increase mobility and alleviate pain in affected joints; has a very positive effect on the nervous system, thus being a right response to the ever more stressful way of life. Regular visits at the masseur’s timely relieve tensions, while special kinds of massages can alleviate very specific problems. At Terme Šmarješke Toplice spa the guest has a number of massages at their disposal ranging from classical to more exotic ones, such as Asian Massages with Herbal Sheaves, Tibetan Massage, Hawaiian Massage, Stone Massage. Their peculiarity is the Vino Vitarium Massage using local gifts of nature - grapeseed oil.

Grape Care Since the Antiquity grapes have been known to fight the old age and help to keep good health and beauty. Grapes contain high doses of polyphenols which are strong antioxidants.

Grape therapies and cares are rich and diverse. Ms Vesna Jankovič says that in their Wellness Centre guests can choose from peelings, covers, cover saunas, aroma massage, sheaves massage or massage bath. “I recommend the Vino Vitarium Rejuvenating Programme, beginning with the most enjoyable session - peeling and a cover of grapeskins and honey, followed by a sauna time with a cover in the herbal sauna. This therapy cleanses the skin and speeds body detoxification. Then the guest is spoilt in grapeseed-oil bath and massage. After the care, the skin is fed, soft, shiny, and the feeling is regenerated. After the therapy the guest is served a specially brewed tea of grapeskins and grapes, a true antioxidant injection. The Vino Vitarium Grapeseed-Oil Massage is an aromatherapy where a combination of massage techniques (Acupressure, Lymph Drainage, Shiatsu Therapy) and essential oils creates a state of harmony and inner peace.

Why the Vino Vitarium Massage?

Because grapes contain: • An abundance of natural antioxidants which inhibit the aging process and cell damage.

• A large amount of vitamins (B, biotin, C) that protect and treat the skin. • Minerals (calcium, magnesium) and tannins that feed and regenerate the skin. • Coenzyme Q10 that stimulates cell energy.

www.terme-krka.si April 2010

e h t t i H es Kanin Slopwith Jure Košir

Take Me Higher! Jure Košir, multiple world cup slalom winner, Olympic medallist and Slovenian ski legend:

“Kanin, now linked with Sella Nevea, has the advantage of being the only slope extending across two countries; the Italian side makes the whole slope more accessible. A perfect day spent there should begin with intense skiing on the western side to be continued later under the Kanin sun in a lazier manner.”

15 km

h 1600 - 2300 m

30 ha

4 km

hchildren

€

5.600

14 km

0 km

youth

adults

senior

18 EUR

23 EUR

28 EUR

23 EUR

h 14 EUR

19 EUR

23 EUR

19 EUR

full day afternoon

ATC Kanin Dvor 43, 5230 Bovec T: +386 (0)5 389 63 10 kaninski.center@siol.net www.boveckanin.si

Features snowboard park childrens park

ski school

ski rental

cross country skiing

The Slovenia Times

The highest ski resort in Slovenia became the first cross-border ski centre in Slovenia, enabling skiing in both Italy and Slovenia. The Kanin-Sella Nevea resort is the only high-mountain ski resort in Slovenia with the trails over 2,000 meters above sea level and the only resort where the sunny weather allows you to see all the way to the Adriatic Sea.

Photo: C. Costerni

HIT THE SLOPES 39

his slope is a place where the season won’t end before the May holidays. As the upper Soča Valley awakes from its winter hibernation, the view towards the faraway ski slope of Kanin is awash with verdant greens, rich reds and browns and, of course, pure white snowfields. In both Slovenia and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, there are extended offers from ski resorts and variety of trails suitable for beginners, advanced skiers and snowboarders. Natural snow and fresh mountain air are two qualities of Kanin recognized by visitors from both nearby and faraway places. This year’s innovation is an igloo bar above the restaurant. The downside of this high mountain environment is that we depend more on natural conditions, which can be discouraging to some visitors. In summer time, recreational options such as trekking and mountaineering provide a unique experience. Cable cars shorten your walk as they take you to an altitude of 2220 m, from where you can walk the natural science educational trail or climb a peak such as Visoki Kanin. Welcome to spring skiing on Kanin, where April started with 300cm of remaining natural snow!

The 25-minute, three-stage, cable-car ride is travel at its best. It takes you from 436 to 2,200 metres above sea level and you can see how the vegetation changes, how the snow cover thickens and how beautiful the Bovec basin looks from above. Yes, Kanin offers a marvellous view, which in clear conditions extends all the way to the Adriatic Sea and, in exceptionally ideal conditions, even to Venice. In April, you can still expect very thick snow cover; however, the slightly wetter base might not represent the best of the conditions, but this is the price you have to pay for the privilege of skiing in a T-shirt. Interestingly, due to the location of the ski slopes, it is possible that over a metre of fresh snow can fall within 24 hours, which increases the risk of avalanches. However, Kanin is equipped with an advanced system for triggering avalanches in a controlled manner, so there is no need to worry. The resort also prides itself on being a popular destination for off-piste skiers, but this is not

something we are going to recommend here; the more adventurous should consult the local guides, who will gladly lead you down into the Krnica Valley if the conditions are suitable.

ble car’s top station. It is not difficult to give into the music, beer and the smell of herbal tea… It can easily be a prelude for the evening party time in one of the many bars and restaurants in Bovec.

Bongiorno!

Bottom line

This season finally brought a highly expected cable car connecting Kanin with Sella Nevea in Italy, a slope at lower attitude, yet with many lengthy and diverse tracks. The joint ski slope has greatly extended the skiing experience, which now offers a total of twelve lifts and 30 kilometres of skiing trails, appropriate for both beginners and experienced skiers. Moreover, access to Kanin is now much easier, since we don’t have to break through to Bovec across the difficult Vršič pass or by the long curvy road leading from the south. The Italian side is simply easier to reach by car – while the rest of the ride is left to cable cars. Typical for the spring skiing is that as the sun reaches its peak, skiers decide for longer breaks at the “snow beach” next to the ca-

Kanin is the most remote resort from the perspective of central Slovenia. It rarely pays to go there for a day of skiing, since it is a two hour drive from Ljubljana. Speaking of Kanin only, the resort cannot be regarded as large, but nevertheless it has an equal share of easy, medium and difficult runs, meaning there are runs that everyone can enjoy. No essentials are missing: there’s a restaurant with home-style food on offer, a ski school, a day-care centre and ski hire. The 9-km sledding track is also worth mentioning. Bovec, which is situated a few kilometres from the lower cable car station, has all the other ingredients – bars, hotels, etc.– to make this a trip to remember. April is a terrific time to visit Bovec, as you can both ski at Kanin as well as enjoy trekking in the lush valley.

Alenka Čopi, CEO Bovec Tourist Board April 2010

40 LIFESTYLE

Bovec

Enjoy Spring and Winter at the Same Time April is a special month for the Bovec valley, as visitors can practice both winter and summer sports. biking. A visit to the mountain bike park at Kanin, which is divided into three difficulty sections, is a must. The airfield in Bovec is considered to be one of most beautiful in the Alps, and flying is possible in nearly all weather conditions. Flying in the company of paragliders and alpine birds of prey, above green forests and mountain peaks and with the emerald-green Soča River below you is a truly unique experience.

Photo: L. Olmi

The most beautiful river

of the Julian Alps (Mt. Triglav, Mt. Jalovec, Mt. Mangrt) tempt mountaineers throughout the year. If the marked mountain trails are not exciting enough, many steep cliffs – some reaching over 1000 metres in height – are available for climbing adventures. Even beginners, aided by a skilled guide, can master kayaking on the Soča and Koritnica rivers within a couple of hours. The Trnovo area, though, is reserved for more experienced kayakers. If canyoning is your thing, once you

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lthough skiing is still possible on Kanin, the valley below is readying itself for its summer tourist season. The ice climbers and dog sleds are giving way to the fishermen who will test their luck at catching the famous Soča trout. On the plateau above the confluence of the Soča and Lepenca rivers, a charming oldstyle holiday village offers horseback riding. Each day is a new adventure on the well-marked and maintained trails through the nature preserve. The highest peaks

Embraced by nature, Hotel Mangart makes a perfect choice for families and individuals. All rooms are air-conditioned and equipped with cable TV, phone, internet access, safe deposit box and mini bar. Most rooms have balcony with a great view of Julian Alps.

Special offer from 1 March to 2 May 2010 Weekends 2 days half board in a two-bed room EUR 89 per person

Package 3=4, three (arrival on thursday) or four (arrival on sunday) half boards in a two-bed room EUR 129 per person Tel.: 00 386 5 388 42 50 booking@hotel-mangart.com, www.hotel-mangart.com

The Slovenia Times

enter one of the natural chasms, you can glide across waterfalls and pools with crystal-clear water, swim in limestone baths and enjoy the peacefulness of a hidden world. The Sušec stream is the most popular amongst the natural courses surrounding Bovec. You can also choose rafting, if you want to test the team spirit of your friends. Spring is the best time to do so, due to high waters. No prior paddling skills are necessary. During your rafting adventure, you will rush across rapids and emerald-green pools, pass huge boulders, and finish off with a mandatory bath in one of the Soca’s pools. If your thirst for adventure remains unsatisfied, you could try paragliding, which seems to have been invented for the Soča Valley. Unequalled possibilities for gliding and tandem paragliding are enhanced with a view of the Adriatic Sea to the south and the mighty massif of the central Alps to the north. With its well-organized trails with minor elevation changes on one hand, and more demanding shaded forest trails on the other, Bovec is fantastic for mountain

The Soča River’s source lies in the Trenta valley. Regarded by many as the most beautiful river in Europe, it flows through the narrowest of gorges in some places and over broad gravel beds in others. Foaming violently one moment, flowing gently the next, the river holds many surprises and delights. The river’s characteristic turquoise hue and the wild beauty of its rapids, ravines and cascades, offer the breathtaking image of natural perfection. Local people regard it as a timeless wonder. Many visitors choose to explore the river along the Soča Trail. It runs from the river’s source to the lower end of the Soča Valley and displays the valley’s natural curiosities, including the old Trenta trader routes. Organised tours along the trail, guided by locals employed by the Triglav National Park Authority, show visitors what life is like in the valley and reveal the priceless heritage which lies within the Slovenia’s only national park. Also, do not miss Trenta museum, which offer an attractive insight into many elements, from the ethnology to geology.

Freeride

Adrenaline Rush

Ski and snowboard freeriders return to Mt. Kanin, Slovenia to challenge the unknown! By Anja Lorenzetti at all, but the adrenaline level was high enough to conquer the fear of the unknown. Spectators who gathered to witness one of the most impressive extreme sports events of the year were sure to enjoy plenty of adrenaline rushes and a spectacular show. “Not easy at all” was the common consensus. Alongside the incredible scenes to be witnessed throughout the battle, there was an emphasis on preventing risks linked to offpiste skiing. The organisers had a great responsibility to conclude the competition and bring the riders down with no injuries. Male snowboarders went first and all 17 made it to the bottom; however, only 35 out of 45 male skiers were lucky enough to drop in before the competition was interrupted, as since a cloud formed around the mountain, and visibility went down to zero. The battle had to be stopped. Tensions rose. Some male and all the female riders were still waiting up above in the cloud. There was no way other than to wait and wait. According to the regulations of the Freeride World Tour, the result can be made official once two thirds of the competitors had their runs. And so it was. The decision to stop the race brought sadness and disappointment, especially to the women who did not get a chance to compete.

Meet your Good Faery. Amidst mountains, by a river, behind a forest and under the clouds: as the promenade leads to the location of a charming old telephone exchange, renovated and decorated in old English style. Each of the 10a rooms ha san imaginative background and its own story. Good Feary lets you spoil yourself and your senses with a book in its library, glass of wine in the wine cellar or in the cool shades of mulberry trees in the garden. Your Feary also has its own creative restaurant which food is based on local ingredients and local tradition spiced with imagination of a modern approach, so every dish is marked with its own signet.

For fun and for the spirit The winner of the Freeride Battle Kanin 2010 was 28-year old skier Mathieu Imbert from France, who threw himself a stylish 360 and the biggest drop of the day. In a Smurf-blue jumpsuit, he

Mala vas 112, SI-5230 Bovec, Slovenija T: +386 (0)5 389 64 00, F: +386 (0)5 389 64 04 welcome@dobra-vila-bovec.com, www.dobra-vila-bovec.com

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anin is home to the only Freeride Battle competition of its kind in Slovenia. For the first time this, it year allowed competitors to ride for points that lead into the world’s most popular freeride series: the Freeride World Tour. As such, it attracted some really strong competitors to this years’ Kanin race, held on the first Saturday in March. “The trend in the winter sports industry and popular demand among riders made us jump into the fifth edition of the Freeride Battle. We are happy to keep our old partners and add some new to keep this event going,” says Jan Maček of the Drča organizing team. This year around 250 riders coming from 20 different countries registered for just 77 available spots to compete in four categories – snowboarding and skiing, for both men and women. These professional riders, who came not just from Europe but also from Argentina, Australia and the USA, were eager to see the terrain that was actually chosen just one day before the contest. For most of them, it was their first time to visit Mt. Kanin, which made it even more exciting to demonstrate their talent. Among them were great names like the Slovenian ski cross Olympian Filip Flisar, the 2008 and 2009 snowboard winner Niklas Hollsten from Finland, the Slovenian winners from 2007 Matevž Maček (board) and Jani Pogačar (ski) and the female snowboard winner from Austria Marlies Nindl. On early Saturday morning, the riders gathered on the resort. The weather conditions were not great

announced, “I’m just riding for myself, for fun and for the spirit of freeriding.” Among the snowboarders, the 2010 winner was Roland Hofer from Austria, who couldn’t hide his eagerness to come back to Kanin. “It is my first time here and I really like mountains with lots of snow.” And why does he compete? “One of the reasons I compete is because in freeriding you’re never as safe when you are in competition.” Freeride Battle organizer Jan Maček and Andrej Humar were glad at least some of the riders managed to finish the race. As Maček concludes, “I am sorry we had to end the event with no women’s competition at all. But we did our best to ensure at least one run to everybody as long as it was safe. In the end, safety reasons prevailed, and we had no choice.” Being a part of Freeride World Qualifier series, the Freeride Battle not only brings top riders who, even in hard conditions, showed some incredibly exciting descents, but it also requires more responsibility from the organisers. “Apart from great riding, we were also excited to see new faces and make new friends. All this keeps us motivated for further events,” explains Jan.

Photo: M. Rogič

LIFESTYLE 41

April 2010

Dine with style Where superior ingredients meet creativity Walking into the JB restaurant on 17 Miklošičeva Street fills you with a homely atmosphere. Despite high ceilings and wonderful crystal chandeliers, the Plečnik building fills you with relaxing and homely feelings. These feelings also come from the restaurant’s chef Janez Bratovž welcoming you and striking up a conversation in the genuine Gorenjska region dialect.

anez Bratovž is an acknowleged chef who has started creating his culinary masterpieces in a small inn in Domžale. The beginning was difficult, however, cooking being Mr Bratovž’s life, he persisted and after 8 years moved to the present-day location in Ljubljana. And it is here where his top-class creativity has started. He says each chef passes through certain phases; in the early days he greatly stressed taste and less looks, later the looks gained relevance and the taste was less important, and at the end he realised that the taste is the most important. And the taste is achieved with superior ingredients he buys daily on the market and naturally ideas. As he admits most of ideas cross his mind at night – so he is also a food dreamer. This is the result of love, if not passion for cooking. When an idea strikes him, first he tries to obtain the best ingredients, followed by combinations tasting. The best critic of his dishes is his wife Ema, a first taster of the new dish and dishcommentary provider. Mr Bratovž is fond of reading cookbooks by other top-class chefs. Recently, in New Your he got as a present Thomas Keller’s book making him especially delighted. The past two years have indeed witnessed a daily progress in his creativity, no wonder that his fame has also crossed the Slovene borders. A month ago he delivered a lecture at a big culi-

nary congress in Milan, Italy, also visited by other world superior chefs. At the congress he presented two dishes that had taken some time to evolve - he wanted to retaste the tastes of his youth, which was also the title of his lecture. Asking him how he can invent so many ideas, he replies “being at the cooker for 10 hours every day, something must occur to you”. And exactly this feature makes him different from some superior chefs. He cooks himself, he makes efforts himself, and lives for it. Moreover, it makes him truly delighted that slowly his whole family is joining in the business. “What more could I ask for than my family’s support”, he says. He finds motivation and impetus naturally in satisfied guests, the guests that are glad to come back and eager about tasting his new masterpieces. However, he adds that he considers all the guests equally important and cooks for each at his best. Two years ago, he wrote a cookbook having been declared as the most good-looking book in 2008 as well as having received other awards. The book also meant a new complete image of JB, and out of the fork the restaurant’s logo was created. If the homely feel prevails upon entering the restaurant, leaving it gives you even better feeling as if you became a member of the JB “family”

Top choice JB logo 4/15/08 4:32 PM Page 1 C

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JB Restaurant Miklošičeva 17, Ljubljana Tel: + 386 1 430 70 70 restavracija.jb@siol.net, www.jb-slo.com Open: Mon – Fri, noon – 10pm Sat, 5pm–11pm

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Fabula Restaurant Borovška cesta 100, Kranjska Gora Tel : +386 4 589 20 88 info@hitholidays-kg.si www.hitholidays-kg.si Open: daily from noon to 11 pm

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BARVE: PANTONE 194 U PANTONE 401 U

In Issue 121

Grad Otočec Restaurant

PANTONE PROCESS BLACK

Grajska cesta 2, Otočec Tel.: + 386 7 38 48 900 booking.grad-otocec@terme-krka.si www.terme-krka.si Open: Every day until 11pm

Bled Castle Restaurant

In Issue 122

Cesta svobode 11, Bled Tel : +386 4 579 44 24 blejski.grad@zkbled.si, events@vgs-bled.si www.hotelastoria-bled.com, www.zavod-za-kulturo-bled.si Open: Every day, 8am – 8pm (November-April till 6pm) Special experiences for special occasions.

Vila Bled Restaurant Cesta svobode 26, Bled Tel: +386 4 575 37 10 info@vila-bled.si, www.vila-bled.si Open: Every day, 12pm – 10pm Delights of the French, Mediterranean and Slovenian cuisines.

Top Eat & Party Tomšičeva 2, Ljubljana centre Tel (reservations): +386 40 177 775 info@klubtop.si; www.klubtop.si Open: Wed-Sat, 8:30am – 5am Delights of the French, Mediterranean and Slovenian cuisines.

Atrium Restaurant

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rgb 0/0/0 Pot za brdom 55, Hotel MONS (main entrance), Ljubljana ring, Brdo exit Tel : +386 1 470 27 00 info@hotel.mons.si Hotel AND CoNGReSS CeNtRe lJUBlJANA Open: Every day, 12am – 10pm

Shambala, asian restaurant

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Križevniška 12, Ljubljana Tel.:+386 31 843 833 info@shambala.si, www.shambala.si Open: 11am-11pm, Sunday and holidays closed. Fresh and spicy experience | Selected wines | Relaxed atmosphere

Jamski Dvorec

In Issue 126 Turizem Kras Jamska cesta 30, Postojna Tel: +386 (0)5 700 0100 info@turizem-kras.si www.turizem-kras.si Innovative cuisine inspired by regional and medieval heritage. Excellent wine choice.

Restavracija City - BTC CITY Ljubljana Poslovna stolpnica, 13th floor, Šmartinska 152, Ljubljana Ljubljana ring, Exit 1 Tel.: +386 (0)1 585 19 97 www.btc-city.com Restaurant open: Mon-Fri, 11am – 4pm Bar open: Mon-Fri, 7.30am – 6pm April 2010

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The Capital

The sweet taste of Easter

Freedom of Healthy Movement

On Easter, the Christians remember the rising of Christ. According to Christian belief, Christ rose and saved the world, making that night exceptional. The symbols of Easter are Easter eggs and bunnies.

The future of urban infrastructure aims for a change from the car-dependent lifestyle.

An Easter egg is also called a pirh and, in some regions, a pisanec or pisanka. In Christianity, an egg symbolises the rising of Christ, resurrection and hope. Eggs are hardboiled, then painted and decorated. Or they may be cooked in dye. Besides eggs, empty shells can also be decorated. In addition to Easter eggs, there is also the Eastern bunny, who brings coloured and painted eggs to children in practically all of Europe. A bunny is not a mythological creature, but an ancient symbol present across almost the whole world. E v e r y y e a r, t h e Cukrček chocolate store prepares traditional chocolate figures of Easter eggs and bunnies. Hand-made Easter eggs are especially decorated with chocolate and may be carefully painted using natural dyes. The highlight of our product range is hand-made praline Easter eggs with delicious nougat, champagne, marzipan and eggnog filling.

Children will enjoy the chocolate bunnies offered by Cukrček in a variety of shapes, with or without Easter eggs. The range is completed by chocolate CDs with Easter motifs or chocolate puzzle sets portraying Easter heroes. We offer also a chocolate envelope with Easter motif. Furthermore, our range includes a chocolate Easter egg one meter across. Preparing such a large chocolate sculpture is no easy thing to do, but our masters are precise and careful in their work. When decorating such a large Easter egg, we gave our imagination free rein. At Cukrček, we support charity and all the funds from the sale of the one-metre chocolate Easter egg are donated to the Pediatric Clinic in Ljubljana.

Benedict, d.o.o., Mestni trg 11, 1000 Ljubljana

www.cukrcek.si advertisement

info@benedict.si

Cukrcek chocolate shop locations: Mestni trg 11, Miklošičeva 4, Nebotičnik underpass Theand Slovenia Timescenter Šiška Mercator

he Municipality of Ljubljana has launched its new sustainable mobility transport policy, which it has first set out in its long-term development document Vision of Ljubljana to 2025. The new spatial plan, in addition to basic guarantees that the State may at any time free up railway land and thus valuable urban areas, envisages a comprehensive traffic management system with the necessary roads, separate lanes and new public transport routes to access the city, new cycle lanes and pedestrian zones that will enliven the city and attract new investment. A new approach to solving the problems of traffic and revitalization of public spaces in cities assumes that public life in the city is associated with spaces that are free from moving and static motor traffic and that walking is the only natural way of movement around the city. On the other hand broadening the roads and road network of motor traffic increases and invites traffic into the city, while that people cannot drive into a city where they cannot park. The time has passed in which the traffic can be regulated

in a way that gives priority to the car at the expense of pedestrians and cyclists. In the past three years several new public transport lines have already been introduced, but the most effective measures for public transport will be introduced by the separate lane Park and Ride transit (P + R) to the city from the city outskirts. The plan also incorporates 2-metre-wide cycle paths as access to the Park and Ride. In relation to traffic measures, it is also important to promote a

healthy lifestyle, which starts in kindergarten and primary school. People still make a connection between a better quality of life through greater mobility. Therefore it is necessary for them to be shown the difference between the actual time spent driving or in public transport, by bicycle or on foot, and convince them that walking and cycling are not just for recreation in their spare time, but a means of transport to work, to school or commerce. Ljubljana’s showcase at the MIPIM Fair in Cannes.

100

The future is bright; the future is green The challenge of achieving sustainable mobility is one being faced by cities worldwide. Unsurprising, then, that it was an issue delegates at last month’s MIPIM conference in Cannes were keen to debate. A roundtable discussion at the event brought together 70 mayors from around the world – among them Ljubljana’s mayor Zoran Janković and Mayor of London Boris Johnson – to grapple with the challenge. They talked not only of ways in which to make transport greener, but also of ways in which to educate people on the subject. The presence of Ljubljana’s leading man underlines the importance the city is placing on environmental issues. So too did its stand which, in impeccable fashion, presented plans which will see pedestrians wrestle back control of the city from cars. Thanks to an aerial shot covering the floor of the stand, visitors to it were able to gain a stunning bird’s eye view of the city. Unsurprisingly, most were impressed by the innovative presentation and immediately understood the city’s proposals. They are proposals which are in fact already starting to become reality. Many areas of the old town are now closed to motor traffic and more will follow in time. The ultimate plan? In the words of Miran Gajšek, Ljubljana’s head planner, to create »a mixture between Vienna, Barcelona, Munich and Thessaloniki, but at the same time very Ljubljana, Ljubljana itself!« Sounds like a mixture worth waiting for.

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Mayor Janković and architect Gajšek at the Cannes fair presentation.

Slo times ang 101 x 292 mm 19. marec 2010 8:37:45

April 2010

Photos: Pika Kofol; Janez Matos, Žiga Šmidovnik

Let’s Clean up Slovenia in a Day!

Organised by the organisation Ecology without Borders, the biggest all-Slovenian voluntary environmental action, Let’s Clean up Slovenia in a Day! (Očistimo Slovenijo v enem dnevu!), will take place on 17 April 2010. The aim of the action is to rid Slovenia of more than 20,000 tons of waste, all in one day. This project will bring together at least 200,000 volunteers for one day in the desire to contribute to a cleaner environment in this country, and in the long term to

promote greater environmental awareness among the people of Slovenia and to improve the legislation on waste. In the desire to do something for a cleaner environment, the project has also been joined by the Slovenian Tourist Board.

The project Let’s Clean up Slovenia in a Day! began as a civil initiative. In four months, suppor t for the project has been shown by many municipalities, municipal ser vice companies, schools, kindergar tens, environmental organisations, gov-

ernment and non-governmental institutions and companies, as well as by 35,000 individuals over the web. Among the key partners, we should mention the honorary patron of the project, President Danilo Türk, President of the National Assembly Pavel Gantar and Prime Minister Borut Pahor. The project aims to bring together all segments of Slovenian society to join us and to help as much as they can in fulfilling the project. You can join us too! More information at www.ocistimo.si.

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Slo-Challenge The Slovenian Tourist Board in cooperation with Slovak Tourist Board is running a web quiz focusing on differences and distinctions of Slovenia and Slovakia, two countries which are often confused. The quiz will take

place before the first matches played on 2010 World Football Championship (WFC) in South Africa, from March to May. The entertaining questions are on subjects such as sport, culture, tourism and general knowledge.

Everyone who answers all the questions correctly can participate in a final draw for the prize of a ticket from a European airport to South Africa and a 7-day stay during the WFC 2010.

CULTURE 47

Literature

Bringing People Together Since 1913 The multi-talented Indian writer Rabindranath Tagore is still very appealing to his readers almost 150 years after his birth. A well-attended international symposium on the author suggests that his legacy might survive many more to come. By Vesna Paradiž, Photos: Nada Žgank

n March, Ljubljana’s Filozofska fakulteta (Faculty of Arts) hosted the International Symposium on Rabindranath Tagore. The symposium, which was jointly organized by the Department of Asian and African Studies at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana, the Embassy of India in Ljubljana and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, concentrated on the works of this great Indian writer and his legacy for the world today. The event started with a song performed by an Indian dance group. Afterwards, the audience was addressed in turn by the dean of Faculty of Arts Valentin Bucik, PhD, the Indian Ambassador Villur Sundararajan Seshadri, PhD and the rector of University of Ljubljana Radovan Stanislav Pejovnik, PhD. They emphasised the timelessness of Tagore’s thought in the world, throughout Europe and, of course, in Slovenia. They all agreed that such events are an important part of an effort to properly present one country to another, to surpass the informational gap between the countries and their people. Similar to their aims, Tagore himself was an intellectual who in his own way tried to draw together different worlds, fields and topics.

Rabindranath Tagore in Brief Tagore was born in 1861 in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and died in 1941, at the age of 80. In 1878, he went to England in an attempt to study law but soon returned to India to pursue a different kind of career. He succeeded in Kolkata as a writer, playwright and songwriter but was little known outside of his home area and completely unknown outside of India. That changed when he travelled to England once again in 1912. On the long journey there, he translated his latest selection of poems into English, not because he had any expectations of success in

Invocation song by Members of the Mamata Shankar Dance Company

England but simply because of lack of anything else to do. Those translations somehow ended up in the hands of W.B. Yeats, who was captivated by them and wrote an introduction to the selection called Gitanjali when it was published by the India Society in London later that year. It was a great success and just a year later, in 1913, Tagore received the Nobel Prize for literature and was thus the first non-westerner to be so honoured. He mostly wrote in the Bengal language, but literature was not the only way of expressing his ideas. While he wrote more than 1,000 poems, many short stories, novels and plays, he also had a vast production of books and essays on philosophy, religion, education and various social topics. Furthermore, he was a creative musician, a composer and even a painter. In 1901, he founded Visva Bharati, a school that combined traditional Hindu education with Western ideals. In 1920, his friend founded another school patterned upon Tagore’s school under the name School of Wisdom. Tagore supported and participated in several of its programs. Slovenes accepted Tagore’s works with great interest. Many early 20th century authors did their best to bring any Tagore published in English to Slovene,

as perfectly and as quickly as possible; the Slovene editions sold out quickly. The message of Indian struggle for freedom throughout Tagore’s literature was met with a great interest, as the Slovene situation in the early 20th century was comparable in many aspects. Tagore was a great source of inspiration and admiration, who left an incredible impact to Slovenian creators such as the renowned poet Srečko Kosovel.

Tagore’s Days in Ljubljana T h e s y mp o s iu m , R ab i ndranath Tagore and His Legacy for the World Today, was a part of Tagore’s Days in Ljubljana. The

event started on March 18, 2010 with the press conference for the 30th literary publication of Tagore in Slovenia, held by Cankarjeva Založba. Published Asian literature is scarce in Slovenia, so the newly published book Izbrane zgodbe (Selected Stories) was their attempt to rectify that situation. However, the occurrence of the symposium and the book release was a coincidence – a highly appropriate one. There were two events on Friday; beside the previously mentioned symposium, the evening brought Tagore’s play Chandalika, performed by the dance group Mamata Shankar from Kolkata, India. The Days ended on Saturday evening, with a literary reading in Jazz Club Gajo. The whole event was enthusiastically received, perhaps because of the universality of Tagore’s thought and his wish to spread harmony and understanding of different cultures throughout the world, or perhaps because people are more and more aware of the importance of good bilateral relations between separate countries. Considering this, it could be said that the event was a success and – who knows – we might even see its continuation when the world celebrates the 150th anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore’s birth next year.

Speech by Prof. Dr. Valentin Bucik, Dean of Faculty of Arts, with Indian Amassador and Minister of Higher Education among the audience in the front row. April 2010

48 EVENTS

The Slovenia Times Recommends

Time for Musical A special event features Big Band RTV Slovenia and a number of Slovenian artists – singers and actors in a concert presentation of two great, renowned musicals: Chicago and City of Angels. Darja Švajger, Nuška Drašček, Miha Bezeljak in Blaž Šef will present themselves as singers-actors in the leading roles of both shows. Also collaborating on this project is a vocal quartet consisting of Blažka Oberstar, Sandra Feketija, Aleš Majerič in Luka Černe, some of whom members of the world famous jazz choir Perpetuum Jazzile (artistic director Tomaž Kozlevčar ). Some other musicians helping this project come to life are Matej Grahek, Jaka Pucihar, Marko Mozetič, Žiga Brank and Jože Šalej. The concert adaptation is almost entirely without the dramatic dialogue, choreography, costumes or lighting commonly expected at a Broadway production. However, to preserve the integrity of the source material and the spirit of the play, the performances will be enriched with short dialogues, standard announcements, a bit of choreography by Ajda Smrekar and fitted costumes. The artist behind this idea is Žarko Prinčič. His work – conducting, composing, acting and teaching – encompasses particularly varied range of activities, which demonstrates the rare talent of injecting any musical work with intuitive depth, lucid comprehension and creative passion brought forth by his complete personal dedication to music. Already composing at age 11, he embarked on a professional career as music director and conductor for the Brecht-Weill Threepenny Opera at the Ljubljana National Theatre at age 19. Through his work at Faculty of Dramatic Art at University of Ljubljana he and his students have been staging musicals such as Die Dregroschenoper, West Side Story, The Baker’s Wife, Happy End and others. In professional theatre, he is the musical director and conductor of musicals such as Chicago, Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof and Sugar among others. Throughout his career, Prinčič has continued to counterbalance and enrich the demanding depths of classical music with other genres, such as jazz,

(he went to school in Trieste) or Austria (also studied there), but also in the many countries where he gave lectures (USA, England, France, etc.).

Electronic

Kintar Apr 9, 11pm, K4, Ljubljana, EUR 7–9

musical and theatrical engagements. Among others, he also played in the Lapin Agile artistic cabaret in Montmartre, Paris, toured jazz festivals and venues with his own Žarko Prinčič trio, and improvised on piano to silent films at the Kinoteka cinema in Ljubljana. When asked why he decided to stage these two particular pieces, Prinčič explains the first and most decisive reason to be is the high quality of both musicals; the second reason lies in the fact that Big Band RTV Slovenija is a top level jazz orchestra (both Chicago and City of Angels are very jazzy). The third reason is a contemporary political and social climate in Slovenia and around the world which neatly coincides with the content of the musical Chicago – corruption of the legal system, the manipulation of the media, greed, violence, and murder. Besides all the above-stated motivations, there are also Slovenian audiences, who are increasingly more anxious to see quality shows of this genre. It is also true that Slovenia has almost no tradition in this area – in particular there is a lack of qualified artists, both on stage and off. “Still,” Prinčič concludes, “we are trying gradually to raise the level of interest and quality of this type of performances in Slovenia.” He and his co-workers have staged a number of successful musicals in the past and are not even nearly done doing so.

17th April at 8 p.m., Hotel Mons, Ljubljana

Literature

Reading in the Glasshouse Feb 1–Apr 30, The Tivoli park glasshouse, Ljubljana, no admission The Library under Trees (Knjižnica pod krošnjami) is a library project aimed at adding variety to outdoor leisure time activities available to locals and visitors. Magazines, newspapers and books covering various areas of interest can be borrowed free of charge. In winter and spring relaxed reading The Slovenia Times

is available in the Tivoli park glasshouse. Schedule: February to May 2010 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 11am–5pm, Saturdays and Sundays 11am–3pm.

Exhibition

Architect Boris Podrecca Mar 11–May 2, National Gallery, Ljubljana This exhibition brings together original works by the internationally renowned Slovenian architect Boris Podrecca and presents his architectural models and projects, complemented by photographs by some of the foremost photographers from Slovenia and abroad. Boris Podrecca isn’t only thought highly of in Slovenia, Italy

K4 will be host to the mystical tech house and progressive house rhythms of Kintar. This internationally famous producer and DJ has captured the attention of audiences from all over the world with his unique oriental style. He has also received tremendous support from other DJ’s and producers (Hernán Cattaneo, Moshic, Nick Warren, Andy Moor, Fady Ferraye, Stan Kolev, Fatali, dPen, etc.). This is our opportunity to hear him on his current tour of Europe. The perfect night will be completed by two guests from Serbia, Brajan Antunović and Crono.

Ballet

Romeo and Juliet Apr 9–Apr 10, 7.30pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 9–22 Ballet soloists, ballet choir and orchestra of the Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana will put on the legendary ballet Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev, the Russian composer whose inspiration for this particular ballet was William Shakespeare’s drama of the same title. The story is based around two young lovers, whose families disapprove of their affair and it all ends in tragedy as the two young protagonists commit suicide.

EVENTS 49 Rock

Challenge Apr 9, 9pm, Kino Šiška, Ljubljana, EUR 15–19 Challenge is a group which features the amazing talents of three exceptional musicians. Kat Dyson is a female guitar player who has collaborated with Prince and gone on the road with Zucchero, Mick Jagger, Carlos Santana, Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Cindy Lauper and George Clinton. T.M. Stevens is a bassist extraordinaire, with immense power and intensity blaring out of his bass. He has worked with Miles Davis, James Brown, Tina Turner, Steve Vai, Billy Joel, Joe Cocker, Cindy Lauper and the band The Headhunters. The drummer Cindy Blackman is best known for her long stint with Lenny Kravitz, but she too has played with some greats – Sonny Rollins, Pharoah Sanders, Jack Bruce and Jacky McLean.

Classical

32 Rue Vandenbranden Apr 9–Apr 10, 8pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 12–24

Le Jardin, Le Salon and Le Sous Sol will always be linked with the successful trilogy of the Brussels based dancers collective Peeping Tom. For this new production 32, rue Vandenbranden, Gabriela Carrizo and Franck Chartier take up their new position as choreographers and directors for the first time. The cast consists of five new dancers, along with veterans mezzo-soprano Eurudike De Beul and octogenarian Maria Otal. The trilogy focussed on family relations between generations. Now Peeping Tom takes us outside. We are presented with human isolation and loss of inner stability.

Electronic

Illegal Presents Digital Dungeon Apr 10, 11pm, K4, Ljubljana, EUR 7–10 This night of electronic music will feature a host of different drum and bass beats, with many different styles incorporated into the hypnotic 4/4 time signature, including metal. The night will include many DJ’s from different countries, among others also the Republic of South Africa. This is a sort of cultural exchange before the football world

Opera rock n roll concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Beatles

cup, which will take place in the aforementioned country.

the 20th century and of Hungarian contemporary composers.

Classical

World music

Dohnányi Orchestra Budafok

Armenian Navy Band

Apr 11, 8pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 26–55 The Dohnányi Orchestra, the youngest professional orchestra in Hungary, was founded as a youth orchestra in 1970. It bears the name of the world famous Hungarian composer and conductor, Ernő Dohnányi (1877-1960). In recent years, its role in Hungarian musical life is becoming increasingly significant, with appearances in all notable Hungarian concert halls as well as major festivals. The orchestra lays great emphasis on less frequently heard masterpieces of music literature, particularly those of

Apr 12, 8.15pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 15–45

The 12-member Armenian Navy Band was established by celebrated percussionist and singer Arto Tuncboyaciyan (Joe Zawinul Syndicate…) with the aim of generating fusion music that would create a synergy between the Armenian folk tradition and

50 EVENTS

The All Time Classics A brilliant, one-of-a-kind version of Aeschylus’ The Persians produced by Deutsches Theater Berlin is about to be staged in Cankarjev dom. By Petra Milič Western theatre originated in ancient Athens, and its drama has had a significant and sustained impact on Western culture as a whole. Tragedy, comedy, and the satyr play were the three genres to emerge; Athens exported the festival to its numerous colonies in order to promote a common cultural identity. To this day, ancient Greek drama is being staged throughout the world in a multitude of versions – combining the ancient and the contemporary. A brilliant, one-of-a-kind version of Aeschylus’ The Persians, produced by Deutsches Theater Berlin, is to be staged in Cankarjev dom in April.

The Persians Aeschylus’ earliest remaining play, first performed in 472 BC, is based on experiences in Aeschylus’ own life, specifically the Battle of Salamis. It is unique among Greek tragedies in treating a contemporary historical event rather than a heroic or divine myth. The play remains a valid primary source of information about this period in Greek history. The war was so important to the Greeks and to Aeschylus himself that, upon his death circa 456 BC, his epitaph commemorated his participation in the Greek victory at Marathon rather than his success as a playwright.

Producing The Persians In 480 BC, the Persians lost the Battle of Salamis to the Greeks, whom they had previously oppressed. Eight years later, Aeschylus wrote about this major event from the defeated enemy’s point of view. The Persians is now the world’s oldest surviving play. In it, a nation recognises its glory days are over. The tragedy is an “organised nervous breakdown,” as translator Durs Grünbein describes it, a never-ending cry for help translated into words. The playwright examines contemporary history, but from a viewpoint that incorporated both past and future. He shows that the winners of today are the losers of tomorrow. Even when the dead are quickly buried and forgotten, they remain pres-

ent. In his theatrical works, the director Dimiter Gotscheff has always strived for the cathartic effects – both spiritual and physical – of classical Greek tragedy. The director describes this piece as very important to him. The crew worked extremely hard on it and spent weeks doing intensive readings of Peter Witzmann and Heiner Müller’s script until the language had infiltrated their brains, explained Gotscheff. The text is quite heavy, but it was important to him to get by without using any devices – by that he means the flashy theatrical effects, which are often resorted to such on occasions. For The Persians, he only wanted to work with the three basic constants in theatre: actors, language and space. German critics proclaimed it to be the best production of the 2007 season. The first-rate actors perform the tragedy of the vanquished, a relevant contemporary subject, whose defeat determined the tragic future of their people.

Dimiter Gotscheff – The Director Dimiter Gotscheff was born in Bulgaria and moved to East Berlin in the 1960s. Within a short time, he became a pupil of and assistant to director Benno Besson, first at the Deutsches Theater and later at the Volksbühne am RosaLuxemburg-Platz. Since the mid-1980s, he has worked at theatres throughout Germany and Austria. His productions have frequently been invited to Berlin’s Theatertreffen festival, including Chekhov’s Ivanov and Molière’s Tartuffe. Several of his works have been named “Production of the Year” by a jury of theatre critics; his Ivanov won the 3sat Innovation Prize at the Theatertreffen festival in 2006. 24th and 25th April, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana; EUR 17-28 The Slovenia Times

Gotscheff became one of the Deutsches Theatre’s in-house directors during the 2006/2007 season. Showered with critical acclaim, his production of The Persians was chosen the best production of the year 2007 by the critics’ poll in the trade journal Theater Heute.

The Critics The critics were thrilled over this remake of The Persians, with Der Tagesspiegel calling it probably the best thing anyone looking for challenging theatre could see at that moment. Like a monolith, primeval tragedy stands before us, the review said, with no middle ground in sight into which one could flee – neither the spectators nor the four actors. Everything rests on their shoulders. They compressed two-anda-half millennia of human tragedy into 90 minutes. The newspaper Tip described viewing the play as a work of art, an extremely compelling abridgement, an evening of uncompromising directness, clarity and beauty and compared the night out at the theatre to the monolith in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey – puzzling, dark and absolutely fascinating. “There is just a wall and four actors in rigid compositions who utter their words with controlled power and formidable intelligence. There’s no commentary, no hasty conclusions, no modern twists. It might make you think about the US and Iraq, about George Bush Junior and Senior, about Europe and Israel, Iran and Mahmound Ahmadinejad, or grand coalitions, but then again it might not. After all, each of us is responsible for his or her own ‘little grey cells.’ However, this production of The Persians provides the very best stimulus for getting your own synapses firing again.”

EVENTS 51 contemporary music styles such as jazz, funk… The band comprises 12 outstanding musicians who play traditional and contemporary instruments and through music recreate Tuncboyaciyan’s artistic and worldly vision. Music is a fundamental element of his life, by which he tries to communicate his great values: love, respect and truth.

European network. The orchestra will consist of both Slovenian and German musicians. We will witness the baptismal performance of the Concerto for piano and orchestra, which was composed for this occasion by Slovenian composer and academic, Lojze Lebič. In the second part of the programme we will listen to the symphonic poem A Heroic Life, the autobiographical work by Richard Strauss.

Festival

Experimental

Arto Tuncboyaciyan & Igor Leonardi Apr13, 8.30pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 11–14 Selected members of the Armenian Navy Band and Fake Orchestra will endeavour to create a universal music project, which is to evolve into a long-standing collaboration. This world premiere will feature one of the most inventive Slovene guitarists who has worked in such projects as the legendary avant-garde bands Begnagrad and Quatebriga. He also played in Miladojka Youneed and has written a great deal of music for the theatre.

stage, surrounded by his drum kit and a bunch of effects. Yoshida is best known as an avant-garde composer in his bands Ruins, Koenjihyakkei and Korekyojin. He has also collaborated with the likes of Fred Frith (Henry Cow) and John Zorn. Supporting the two Japanese projects will be the Austrian band Jakuzi’s Attempt.

soloists of his generation. His highly expressive performances of rare 19th century guitar literature on authentic instruments add a wonderful dimension to his already exceptional renditions. In 2003, the Italian guitar magazine Guitart pronounced Steidl one of the eight most important guitarists.

Experimental

V. BAZAR

Zeni Geva, Ruins Alone

Apr 17, 8pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, no admission

Apr 16, 9.30pm, Menza pri koritu, Ljubljana, EUR 12

Rock

MAKfest: Ego Malfunction Apr 15, 8pm, Gala Hala, Ljubljana, EUR 6–10

Rock

This time we will be seeing a double bill of Tatsuya Yoshida performances. He will be drumming with Zeni Geva and also during his solo performance entitled Ruins Alone, where he is alone on

V. BAZAR is an annual and biggest festival, whose main goal is to introduce and nurture all aspects of Oriental dance culture to Slovenian audience. We have had previous participants, both amateur and professional from all corners of the globe and made some wonderful friends along the way. This year we are planning an even more

Beatlegeist Apr 14, 9pm, Kino Šiška, Ljubljana, EUR 15 - 18 The Beatlegeist project takes some legendary tunes from The Beatles and recreates them into an eclectic, classical and trendy sonic cocktail which mixes opera, rock and cabaret. This operatic rock spectacle is in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the foundation of The Beatles, possibly the biggest rock band ever to exist and will feature such gems as A Hard Day’s Night, All You Need is Love, Get Back, Oh Darling and Yellow Submarine.

Classical

Pavel Steidl Apr 14, 7.30pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 9–20 Steidl’s imaginative probing into the expressive heart of a melody, his foremost virtuosity, musical wit and warm interaction with audiences place him in the pantheon of European guitar masters. Since he won first prize at the Radio France International Competition in Paris, Pavel Steidl has become one of the most sought-after and widely celebrated

This is the first edition of MAKfest, a festival organised by high school pupils. This evening’s performances will include Ego Malfunction, an interesting funk rock/metal ensemble, which has gotten a new lease on life with the addition of a female singer. Their whimsical music is built around a strong rhythm section with a powerful guitar to boot. Supporting them will be alternative rockers Radiator and Dandelion Children.

Classical

Orange Apr 15, 8pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 8–19 The seventh concert of the Kromatika subscription season will be a collaborative effort with the Jenaer Philharmonie, which is, as is the RTVSlovenia Symphony Orchestra, included in the April 2010

52 EVENTS extensive programme with two novelties – a charity auction and a fashion show. The main event of the evening will be the Orient Express gala show, including the performances of best Slovenian dancers and foreign guests.

Hard rock

Divlje jagode Apr 17, 9pm, Rock Cafe, Postojna, EUR 10–12 Divlje jagode is one of the most highly regarded hard rock bands to come out of former Yugoslavia. They built their legacy around crunching guitar riffs, melodic interplays and impressive vocals. They may not be as commercially successful as some of the other reunited bands like Parni valjak, Plavi orkestar or Bijelo dugme, but they have stayed faithful to their hard rock tradition. Any biker festival on the grounds of ex Yugoslavia cannot do without at least one rendition of their cult song Motori.

Ashot Bayandour worked in Yerevan, Paris, Nicosia and Montreal as a painter, illustrator and set designer. First visiting Slovenia in 1995, he spent his final years travelling between Armenia, Canada and Slovenia, holding a number of one-man shows and taking part in diverse group exhibitions and colonies. In 2001 he wrote a twelve-story collection, Jakob Marelica, creating his final illustration for it on 7 June 2003 in Ljubljana, four days before the conclusion of his everlasting seabound journey.

World music

Niyaz Apr 21, 8.15pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 15–45

Apr 21 – May 23, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, no admission

At the forefront of Niyaz is the charismatic Iranian singer Azim Ali, who resides and works in the USA. Ali has continually redefined the classical Persian, Urdu and even Baroque canons with tasteful flourishes of modernity. Fusing tradition and electronica to great effect, she has established a reputation of one of the finest concert performers. At first a trio, Niyaz has lately been extended by superb instrumentalists from Iran, Afghanistan and Turkey playing traditional instruments, such as saz, oud, tabla, and rik. Nevertheless, the electronic violin and charging rhythms infuse their sound with current values. World music for the 21st century.

Rock

Van Gogh Apr 22, 8pm, Cvetličarna, Ljubljana, EUR 9–11 Verjemi v svoj koš (believe in your basket) is a humanitarian project with the purpose of renewing basketball courts all over Slovenia. The first fruits of this project will be seen with the concert of Serbian group Van Gogh, one of the hottest rock bands from the Balkan area. Before the concert there will be a special basketball competition. Special guests of the concert will be Marko Milič, Jure Košir, Zoran The Slovenia Times

established jazz names. She has also won two Grammy Awards and worked together with the likes

Jazz/rock

Zmajev rep Apr 22, 10pm, Klub Gromka, Ljubljana

Exhibition

Ashot Bayandour

Predin, Jernej Šugman, Dejan Zavec, Petra Majdič, Sašo Ožbolt, Boris Gorenc, Dušan Hauptman, Miro Cerar and Ivo Daneu. The funds raised from this concert will go into buying baskets and painting the basketball court on Metelkova street.

The Slovene musical scene has always been rich with jazz and jazz/rock musicians. Zmajev rep is one of the many young bands which continues in the tradition started by Izvir, Predmestje and September, bringing audiences a fresh mixture of jazz, rock and other influences. Although they started out as a hard rock act, their performances display a depth of talent which would befit a much more experienced jazz ensemble.

of Steve Coleman and James Weidman. Her live performances often include adaptations of other people’s songs, as diverse as Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, Joni Mitchell and The Monkees.

Jazz

Kihnoua Apr 27, 8.30pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 11–14

Avant-garde

Deerhoof Apr 23, 9pm, Kino Šiška, Ljubljana, EUR 13–16 Deerhoof is a band which hails from San Francisco. They mix the beautiful and the chaotic and create challenging and special music from noise, sweet melodies and the experimental spirit. The group was formed in 1994 by guitarist Rob Fisk and drummer/ keyboard player Greg Saunier. Female vocalist/bass player Satomi Matsuzaki joined them a bit later, while the other members came and went. Supporting them will be Serbian rockers Repetitor.

Jazz

A pre-eminent new jazz musician and composer from the Bay Area, as well as a notable member and composer of the Rova Saxophone Quartet, Larry Ochs is presenting his new quintet that features South Korean singer Dohee Lee. The project entitled Kihnoua will also feature a special guest in the form of Dutch musician Wilbert de Joode. The music fuses elements of western free improvisation and special Korean singing techniques.

Cassandra Wilson Apr 25, 8pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana Cassandra Wilson is one of the most respected American vocalists to emerge on the jazz scene in the last 30 years. She has released more than 20 albums, both as a solo artist and together with other

Electronic

MATMOS May 2, 9pm, Kino Šiška, Ljubljana, EUR 15–19 After more than two years away from Ljubljana, Matmos, consisting

EVENTS 53

of Drew Daniel and M. C. Schmidt, returns to the Slovenian stage. They are notorious in the field of experimental indie electronic music, also for their collaboration on the album Vespertine by the Islandic diva Björk. Matmos compose samples into perfected rhythmical sequences, which border on trip hop and drum ‘n’ bass. Sometimes these sonic sources remain without rhythm and are used to create dark atmospheres.

Classical

Nordic Symphonic Orchestra

Jazz

Igor Lumpert Quartet, Mike Reed’s People, Places & Things May 4, 8.30pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 11–14 * EUR The spring mini jazz festival will foreground the new line up by New

ORGANISER:

York-based saxophonist Igor Lumpert, which features one of the world’s finest drummers from the younger generation (Jason Moran Trio), and an ever more exceptional quartet by Chicago-based drummer and composer Mike Reed, who initially drew inspiration from the 1950s Chicago jazz and blues scene and has now adopted an idiosyncratic musical lexicon with original songs.

May 5, 7.30pm, Narodni dom, Maribor, EUR 20 Estonia has always been at the crossroads of eastern and western cultures. This is also reflected in the Nordic Symphonic Orchestra, which creates a northern cultural mix. This time we will hear a new symphony by minimalistic composer Arvo Pärt, Tchaikovsky’s

CO-PRODUCER:

GLAVNI MEDIJSKI PARTNER:

The project is part of the programme Ljubljana - World Book Capital 2010. The project was co-financed by the Municipality of Ljubljana and the Slovenian Book Agency

Symphony No. 5 and Bruch’s work with a Jewish theme, where we will see the performance of Israeli viola player Avri Levitan.

Cinema

Happy-Go-Lucky May 5, 5pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 4.5 Mike Leigh is one of the best English film and theatre writers and directors. His social satire and gallows humour are always at the forefront of his often tragic stories. Happy-Go-Lucky focuses on a cheerful and optimistic primary school teacher and her relationships with those around her. She has a fulfilling personal life and takes a personal interest in the lives of her students, especially one downtrodden boy.

Cinema

Hunger May 6, 5pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 4.5 The film follows life in the Maze Prison during the 1981 IRA hunger strike. With an eye for detail, the realistic, dark and intense film

explores what happens when body and mind are pushed to the limit. In 1981, the conflict in Northern Ireland was a deadly serious battle. The film focuses on the men of the Maze Prison. Some inmates launch a protest, demanding to be treated as political detainees. Conflicts escalate, prisoners are beaten and soon no officer remains secure. It is this unrest that leads Sands to the extreme decision to begin a hunger strike.

Classical

Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra May 6–May 7, 5pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 8–26 In his new work, the Double Piano Concerto, composer, saxophonist, pianist and harpsichordist Milko Lazar will also present himself as a soloist, together with Bojan Gorišek. They will be performing one of Milko’s own works, a double piano concerto, Falla’s El amor Brujo (Love, the Magician) and a selection from the suite Iberia by Albeniz, two legendary Spanish compositions.

54 SPORTS

Sports management

A Month of Affairs March in Slovenia was indeed a rarely seen period of affairs, not only in politics but also sports. Their subjects were the national football team, the biggest basketball team and skiing diva Tina Maze. By Simon Demšar

n a span of less than a week, three major conflicts hit the news, giving the media plenty to talk about. Not surprisingly, they were all money-related.

Koren vs. Simič What looked like a storybook relationship in November, when Slovenia qualified for the football World Cup, was shattered at the beginning of March, ahead of and immediately following the friendly match against Qatar. The first gathering of players and officials in Maribor after the historic win against Russia, was supposed to be a friendly “Hello, how are you?” but ended with accusations of “broken promises” from all sides. The first sparks flew ahead of the friendly when information leaked to the media that the national team had been considering a boycott of the game “over some financial issues.” The players denied this in a joint statement, read by team captain Robert Koren and team coach Matjaž Kek who said that “These guys would actually pay to play for the national team.” When that matter seemed settled, the worst was yet to come. Commenting on the dispute, the president of the Football Association of Slovenia, Ivan Simič, said, “All players’ requests have been met and contracts have been signed, despite some additional requests that came after the deadline.” This angered Koren, who retorted, “His statements about additional requests are completely untrue. Through this issue we have realized that we can neither trust nor communicate with Simič.” This further enraged Simič, who then decided to offer his resignation and revealed some details of the contract: “Together, the national team will get EUR 3.4 million for qualifying for the World Cup, which is EUR 200,000 more than originally agreed. Each player will get around EUR 150,000, which is three times the amount that German players will receive. Theoretically, players can earn additional EUR 550,000 each if they become world champions, compared to EUR 250,000 that each German would get, for example.” The Slovenia Times

The sticking point seemed to be players’ families and friends. Players supposedly demanded that their trips to South Africa should be paid by the Football Association. Contrary to expectations, opinion polls showed that the fans were on Simič’s side this time. At least publicly, the dispute has been settled after Simič met Koren in Birmingham. “This marks the end of the story for the Football Association. From now on, our focus is solely on preparing the national team and successful participation in the World Cup,” said Simič.

Maze vs. Vogrinec After two silver medals at the Olympic Games, the ongoing dispute over the Ski Association of Slovenia’s financial contribution to Tina Maze’s private team looked resolved until at least the next season. However, Maze cancelled her participation in the penultimate downhill race due to being “... psychologically unfit due to excessive pressure from Tone Vogrinec,” the legendary and now retired team manager and head of the Slovene Olympic team in Vancouver. “There have been all sorts of statements about me in the media, coming primarily from Vogrinec. He was first interceding as peacemaker, but went on saying things that are none of his business. Things have been building up inside me and they trouble me,” said Maze. Her coach, Andrea Massi, added, “Since the reception in Ljubljana after the Olympic Games, things have been distasteful and should have been done differently. There should be more respect for athletes no matter whether they produce a good result or they fail here and there.” Maze and Massi didn’t go into details, but continued to assert that money is not the only issue. Meanwhile, Vogrinec was “surprised and disappointed” by that statement, responding “Her results have always made me happy and I consider her one of the best Slovene athletes. After the conflict with the Association, which stems solely from the lack of money, I was willing to try brokering a

Not that kind of a strike.

deal between the two parties. After today’s statement by Maze and Massi, I am withdrawing from any further activities.” The dispute is far from resolved. Massi has mentioned several times that one of the options is for Maze to race for another country. Much is also expected from the new president of the Ski Association, who was selected after we had closed for press.

Olimpija vs Management The least surprising of the affairs was Olimpija basketball team going on strike. The financial situation has been grave for nearly a decade, but – until now – a solution has always been found in the last moment despite numerous changes in the management and coaching teams as well as the team roster.

Once a springboard to big European teams, Olimpija has fallen to the level of a transitional club. Despite high hopes prior to this season, it has turned into a disaster and players have been leaving the team one after another, starting with the best ones. After some players received only one salary in six months, players and coach Jure Zdovc decided to take action. They refused to train and demanded a meeting with the club’s president Dušan Mitič, which resulted in the latter resigning. “I have been doing my very best to provide conditions for Olimpija to become an attractive and dynamic European team in the long term. However, together with many obstacles and with the economic recession looming, companies are spending less money not only on sport but also other areas,” said Mitič.

SPORTS 55

Winter Olympics

20 x 10 The overall performance of Slovene Olympic team proved that they were the strongest team ever. Besides Petra Majdič’s and Tina Maze’s medals, there were other excellent results. While they will probably not be remembered for much longer, they are a good sign for the future of Slovene winter sports.

n Vancouver, Slovene athletes managed 20 top-10 finishes, compared to only eight in Turin four years ago. Klemen Bauer was fourth in biathlon, missing a bronze medal by a mere 3.4 seconds. He was lucky with the weather conditions, though, and he did not lament the missed opportunity too much. There was a little consolation in the fact that his close friend and training buddy, Jakov Fak of Croatia came third. Fak, who speaks fluent Slovene, is expected to race for Slovenia from next year on, should promises from Croatian ski authorities not be fulfilled. Bauer was also 9th in the pursuit. In the women’s category, Teja Gregorin was among favourites

to win a medal. Missing one shot, she finished fifth but didn’t take it to heart. “This was one of my best performances. If you start thinking about medals the result can only be worse,” she said. She managed another two top tens, finishing 9th in both the pursuit and sprint events. Ski-jumper Robert Kranjec was also among favourites, but given the fact that he hadn’t been in the top three in the World Cup (except ski-flying) this season, his sixth place on the small hill is a reasonable achievement. He was 9th on the large hill, where he complained about poor weather conditions during his first jump. In contrast, his team-mate and the youngest member of the Olympic team, Peter Prevc, 17, was one

Photo: BOBO

By Simon Demšar

The heroine returns

of the heroes. Against all odds, he finished seventh on the small hill and pulled off reliable jumps throughout the games. Mitja Valenčič almost became the surprise of the games. Finishing the first slalom run in second place, he had every chance to win a medal. He didn’t make any visible mistakes in the second run but was simply too slow and finished sixth. Žan Košir and Rok Flander had

been tipped for a medal in snowboarding but lost their quarter finals runs and finished 6th and 8th respectively. Filip Flisar is a rather unknown name outside freestyle ski-cross circles, but made his presence felt with an 8th place. Aleš Gorza rounded up Slovene top ten finishes after skiing to 10th place in super giant slalom, surprising most observers, fans and probably even himself.

Volleyball

ACH makes Final Four Slovenia’s volleyball champions ACH Volley Bled qualified for the final four tournament of the CEV Champions League, the top European volleyball club competition, by eliminating Hypo Tirol of Innsbruck in the play-offs in Ljubljana. ACH Volley lost the first match in Austria last week with 1:3, and needed to match the result or win in straight sets in the return game in order to make it to the final four. Plying in the packed Tivoli arena, the Slovenian club won last night’s match in regulation with 3:1 and the teams had to play an extra set, called the “golden set”, in which ACH Volley prevailed with 15:10. ACH Volley will clash in Lodz with the Italian titleholders of Trentino BetClic, while the tournament host, Skra Belchatow will take on Dinamo Moscow in the other semi-final match.

Gymnastics

Medals for Pegan and Bertoncelj April was a successful month for the gymnasts: Sašo Bertoncelj of won gold on the pommel horse at the gymnastics World Cup meet in Cottbus, Germany, what is his second win after the 2007 World Cup meet in Ostrava. Veteran Aljaž Pegan won bronze in the horizontal bar competition at the World Cup meet in Doha. He said he was making progress and that his form would peak at the European Gymnastics Championships in Birmingham between in April. Pegan was second in the horizontal bar competition at the World Cup season opener in Canada’s Montreal. April 2010

56 PEOPLE

Petra Majdič

More Than a Skier Petra Majdič is a cross-country skier who has won 20 World Cup races. The bronze medal in classical style sprint at the Olympic Games in Vancouver put her in the centre of the sports world attention – she won the medal with four broken ribs and punctured lung. By Marjan Žiberna

Photo: BOBO

Bronze with a golden lustre

T After twenty years of life devoted to cross-country skiing and much success Majdič wished to crown her career with Olympic medal in sprint – golden, if possible.

The Slovenia Times

his year’s sports season began just as she wished after nine victories in the 2008/09 season. On 13th December, she won the free style sprint in Davos, Switzerland, which was soon followed by victories at two races within the New Year’s tour; one in Oberhof, Germany, and one in Val de Fiemme, Italy. However, she was concentrating – like most top level athletes – on the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada. After twenty years devoted to cross-country skiing and much success, she wanted to crown her career with an Olympic medal in sprint – a gold one, if possible. Her aspiration was realistic despite intense competition, since she has been number one in sprint for a couple of years. She even skipped the 10-kilometre race to do her best in sprint. After the sprint, she planned a team race, relay race and a 30-kilometre race in the classical technique. However, things turned out differently in Vancouver.

On 17th February, Petra Majdič won the bronze Olympic medal and overshadowed the winner and many other sport heroes in Vancouver with her unbelievable courage. She was on the front pages of newspapers all over the world. Immediately after the finals, she had to be taken to the hospital, where her competitors came to pay their respects and offer best wishes for her recovery. She dearly wished to attend the medal ceremony; the medical staff let her to be taken in an ambulance to attend the ceremony with escorts. She was in much pain due to rib and lung injuries sustained during the training crash and had to be on strong medication, she also had a tube in her lungs. Some days later, she received the Terry Fox Foundation award for the bravest athlete. After she returned from the Games, Danilo Türk, the Slovenian president, awarded her with the Golden Order for Service – the highest order awarded by the state. “For me this bronze medal is golden with a diamond,” Petra Majdič commented her achievement, while the public wondered how was it possible that a person with such heavy injuries could even move let alone compete in such a demanding race. The way the sprint race is organized meant competing four rounds in one day: qualifications, quarterfinal, semifinal and final.

Bad conditions The career of Petra Majdič, who comes from Dol near Ljubljana, resembles that of many other athletes but it also differs in significant ways. She started training in cross-country skiing at the end of the 1980s. As a junior, she was successful in minor competitions but in January 1998 she made her debut in a major competition. She came 13th on a 5kilometre European Cup race. In December the same year, she came 3rd on a 10-kilometre European Cup race.

Next year, she was 6th in a 5kilometre race at the Junior World Championship. It was the same year that she competed in the World Cup for the first time – she came 64th on the 5-kilometre race in Kiruna, Sweden. A few months later, she was 30th in Falun, Sweden, which brought her the first point in the World Cup. Her best placement in that season was 20th. In 2001, she was placed among the best three of the race for the first time; this was in Asiago, Italy where she won the bronze medal in sprint that later became her best event. At the 2001 World Cup in Lahti, Finland she was placed 14th in the 15-kilometre race. In the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, USA – her first Olympic Games – she competed in two events and was placed as 7th and 8th. In the course of following years, her competitive achievements were good enough but not the best. The main reason was financial troubles. Despite results that would enable good training conditions in other countries, she didn’t have them in Slovenia. Recalling those years, she said, “I tried to compensate my lack of funds with an even greater amount of training, I trained harder compared to my competitors and sometimes had to do other things as well to earn the money I needed. So often my immune system was weakened and I was susceptible to any virus or bacteria.” “In 2005 at the World Championship in Oberstdorf, I was at the lowest point of my career due to overtraining. My trainer and I had maximized the amount of training and then there was not enough time for recuperation before the races; my body didn’t recover fast enough. I left the championship earlier and, although some journalists criticized me for that decision, I know that it was the only smart thing to do. I came back home and my trainer and I adjusted the training to my condition at the time, which was quite bad. That gave my body time to recover.”

PEOPLE 57

Things had changed In 2006, her second Olympic Games took place in Torino, Italy. In the 10-kilometre race, she was placed 6th and 8th in the sprint race. She won her first sprint race in that season. That was the beginning of her rise, and with it her status improved as well. Before that season, she had many problems with the waxing experts and the team or (more accurately) with the money on which these things depend. “After I won the World Cup race for the first time, these things were settled,” she recalls. “All of a sudden the Slovenian Skiing Association realized that it is possible to achieve something important also in the cross-country skiing.” In the 1980s and 1990s, alpine skiing had a dominant position in Slovenia and was therefore a recipient of most of the financial support. This continued, although results of Slovenian alpine skiers were more or less modest. To avoid any misunderstanding, Majdič emphasizes all this did not bring her wealth. “You have to take into consideration that before I was always without money and was used to train on the very verge of what was financially still possible. Today, I put practically all the money I get into improving my training conditions,” she explains.

March to the top It was then that her long and successful cooperation with her trainer Robert Slabanja came to an end in a friendly manner. She started cooperating with Ivan Hudač, a Slovak trainer who moved to Slovenia and later became the chief trainer of the Slovenian cross-country skiing team. In 2007, she came 2nd in a sprint race at the World Championship and 5th in the 30-kilometre race. In the 2007/2008 season, she won three races and won the World Cup in sprint. In the 2008/2009

season, she won eight races altogether, as well as her first one on the 30-kilometre race. She won the Crystal Globe again in sprint and came second after Justina Kowalczyk in World Cup overall. They were the closest rivals all through that season.

Broken ribs, unbreakable will She was preparing for the 2009/10 season by aiming as high as possible: possibly winning Olympic gold in Vancouver. She won three races in the World Cup before the Olympic Games and skipped the first Olympic race to be fully prepared for the classical sprint. However, at the warm-up Majdič seriously injured herself when skiing through an unguarded hairpin turn on very icy ski course. She fell into a three-metre ditch by the ski course, breaking not only her skies and poles but also four ribs, as the medical examination later showed. One of the ribs perforated her lungs. Despite that, she performed in qualification race where the organizers let her start at the end of the starting list. She moaned and screamed in pain and collapsed just after the finish line. She came 19th and was later taken to a mobile hospital, where the examination did not reveal the actual extent of her injuries. She returned to competition and performed in the quarterfinal on pain killers. She won in her group. In the semi-final, she came fourth and just managed to get into final race, in which she was running on the fourth position for most of the race but managed to overtake Anna Olsson near the end, thus winning the bronze medal. “I cried from beginning to the end,” commented her former trainer Slabanja, watching her Olympic performance on TV. “Only Petra is capable of something like that, nobody else could endure that.”

After the finals, she was taken to hospital where she spent several days. Despite serious injuries, she did not want to miss the medal ceremony. She was brought to the Whistler main square, where the ceremony took place, in an ambulance. She climbed the podium with the help of escorts; she had a drainage tube in her lungs. Some days later, she received the Terry Fox Foundation award. The award is named after a Canadian who, three years after losing a leg to cancer, ran 5,300 kilometres across Canada in 143 days to raise the money and awareness of the disease. She never doubted whether this extreme suffering, which brought tears to spectators’ eyes, was worth the risk to her health. Petra Majdič, who celebrated her 30th birthday last year, was a sports hero even before Vancouver; afterwards, she became an example of unbreakable will. She was voted the best Slovenian sportswoman in 2006, 2007 and 2009 and most probably she will win the title this year. As President Türk said, when awarding her with Golden Order for Services for the Republic of Slovenia, “The young generation has a role model of a great sports personality in Petra Majdič.”

“I tried to compensate my lack of funds with even greater amount of training, I trained harder compared to my competitors and sometimes had to do other things as well to earn the money I needed.”

Petra Majdič was brought to the Whistler main square, where the Olympic winning ceremony took place, in an ambulance. She climbed the podium with the help of escorts as she had a drainage tube in her lungs.

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58 GUEST STAR CANDIDATES

Diplomacy: Godfathers of Excellent Relations

Samoil Filipovski Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia Professionally: Before taking on the post of Ambassador to Slovenia in 2006, Mr Filipovski worked as an attorney specialising in business law, trade law and penal law; he researches the extradition and transfer of convicts according to European conventions. He was also a member of judicial council of the Macedonian Government and an affiliate member of European attorney association, Eurolegal. In 2005, he has started the Slovene-Macedonian business club. Ambassador Filpovski’s effort in enhancing economic ties has resulted in many successful ventures; Slovenia has become one of the biggest investors in the southernmost former Yugoslav republic. He also made a notable positive impact on cultural exchange between the two countries. Privately: A father of two children, he enjoys spending time in nature, which he finds plenty of here in Slovenia, particularly in the Trenta, Soča and Logarska valleys or Kozjansko natural park. His favourite sports are skiing and bicycling. He respects the environmental awareness of Slovenes as well as their aptitude for sports, both in terms of daily recreation and top achievements.

2009

www.gueststar.org www.gueststar.org www.gueststar.org The Slovenia Times

Zhi Zhaolin

Ahmed Farouk

Ambassador of China

Ambassador of Egypt

Professionally: Mr Zhaolin is a professional diplomat and has served in many countries in Europe and Asia. From 2000 to 2004, he was the Chinese Ambassador to Croatia. Since 2007, he has been the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Slovenia. During his term, he has actively committed himself to promoting and deepening the relations of friendship and cooperation between the countries. His efforts resulted in many highlevel visits: both President Türk and former Prime Minister Janša visited China during Zhaolin’s term, while Slovenia hosted Jia Qinglin, Chairman of the National Committee of the Political Consultative Conference and Hui Liangi, Vice-Premier of the State Council. In economy, trade relations have gone steeply upwards, with over USD 1 bn trade in 2008; interest in mutual investment has also risen sharply. Cooperation in culture, education, technology, defence, agriculture and tourism is also expanding. Through his efforts, the Confucius Institute will soon be open within the University of Ljubljana; this will serve as a platform for better communication and understanding between the countries. He was excited to learn that the globalisation has made China and Slovenia only a ten-hour flight from each other. Zhi Zhaolin sincerely hopes that Slovenian entrepreneurs will seize the opportunity to take advantage of the good political relations, make an early decision to enter Chinese market and, at the same time, promote relations of friendship and cooperation between the countries.

Professionally: Ahmed Farouk has been the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Slovenia since September 2007. Previously, he took part in the Egyptian Delegation that was involved in the peace process in the Middle East between 1993 and 1994 (the Gaza-Jericho Agreement). This is but one item on Mr Farouk’s enviable list of achievements. He helped to bring the first FDI from Egypt to Slovenia through El Sewedy Group and Iskra Emeko CO, as well as sending the first FDI to Egypt from Slovenia through the Luka Koper port and the port of Alexandria, which resulted in a cold chain between the two ports for fruit and vegetable exports. He has established a business council between the chambers of commerce, encouraged many Egyptians to invest in Slovenia and thus opened new markets for Slovenian products in the Middle East. He also helped in establishing the Slovene-Egyptian Business Women’s Association. In the cultural field he was, among others, involved in Egyptian cultural year in Ljubljana to Slovenia with films, concerts and the “Pharaonic Renaissance,” the first exhibition ever in Slovenia showcasing original Egyptian pieces. He emphatically states that Slovenia and Egypt had enjoyed excellent relations since 1991, which is something that continues even to this day at all the highest levels.

Privately: Most of all, he enjoys reading and walking.

Privately: Mr Farouk hobbies include playing the piano and doing all kinds of sport, particularly squash.

Villur Sundararajan Seshadri Ambassador of India Professionally: Thanks to Mr Seshadri, the newly established Indian Embassy is now completely operational, not only for visa and consular needs, but in deepening relations in the political, economic, cultural, scientific, technological and other spheres. The past year witnessed many successful events, such as the visit of the Minister of State for External Affairs of India Shrimati Preneet Kaur who participated in the Bled Strategic Forum and also held bilateral meetings. The visit was returned by a delegation from the newly established Slovene Parliamentary Friendship Group, soon followed by a strong business delegation. Business has progressed: 14 small scale Indian companies participated for the first time in the International Trade Fair in Celje. A 15-member Slovene business delegation also visited India in December. Most importantly, bilateral trade witnessed a sharp rise of 30% last year even during a period of global downturn. There was also much activity in the cultural and intellectual spheres. Beside Indian performers visiting Slovenia, it is essential to mention the international conference, an interactive Round Table on Nonviolence, and most importantly, the establishment of a Hindi chair in the Faculty of Arts in the University of Ljubljana. Privately: Despite full engagement in the embassy activities, he finds some time to enjoy the country with his wife Vidya, who too has been actively involved in the work of Slovene International Ladies Association (SILA), its annual charity bazaar and much else.

GUEST STAR CANDIDATES 59

Economy: No Crisis for Intrepid Entrepreneurs

Jacqueline Stuart Director of Slovenia Invest The United Kingdom Professionally: Ms Stuart is the director of Slovenia’s first international commercial real estate company. The company was launched in February 2008, and has fast become the dominant player in commercial real estate, including sales of hotels, land, restaurants, office projects and industrial property. Other activities include consulting for banks and institutional investors, and representing tenants for international firms looking for premises in Slovenia. The company’s biggest achievement to date is the sale of the Bellevue Hotel in Ljubljana to a Luxembourg fund, which has plans to restore and develop the property into 5star luxury hotel. She enjoys the daily challenges of working in an interesting and rapidly changing market. She has a monthly column in Finance, Slovenia’s daily financial newspaper, and contributes in-depth articles on the real estate industry. Privately: After living in Spain, Greece, Sweden and Austria, she moved to Slovenia in 2006, to enjoy life in the “last green jewel of Europe,” where she dedicates her free time to skiing in winter and spending time on her boat in summer. There are many things she likes about Slovenia: the relaxed way of life, the outdoors and the beautiful countryside. Her shortterm ambition is to improve her Slovene. She has an eight-year-old son, who attends the British School and is currently in his fourth year of training with the Triglav ski team in Kranj.

Bahaa Abdallah Rudolf CFO of Iskraemeco Klötscher Egypt

Professionally: After years of experience as the main financial supervisor of Egyptian energy provider group, El Sewedy Cables, Mr Abdallah took on the financial leadership of company Iskraemeco in Kranj. He holds an MSc in Economics and is a dedicated activist in many expert associations for accountancy, revision and tax advisory. Mr Abdallah is a manager with great leadership skills and a wealth of international experience. He is considered a communicative, adaptive, persistent and innovative and motivated person, who can also be an excellent negotiator. His positive and motivating impact on the team also left a mark among his associates, who say that they have a person whom they can trust, enjoy cooperating with and who has broadened their way of thinking. Mr Abdallah’s biggest achievement in Iskraemeco is that the company has finally become profitable, which is attributed to many smart decisions. Furthermore, the company adopted international accountancy reporting standards in only six months with very limited resources. Privately: He lives in Ljubljana. His wife and children followed him a year after he took the job in Slovenia. The two daughters attend an international school in Ljubljana, while his young son attends a Slovenian kindergarden.

2009

CEO of BSH Hišni aparati Germany Professionally: Rudolf Klötscher has been working for home appliances makers since he finished his studies at the University of Nürnberg. After joining BSH, he started as product manager, then head of Product Marketing and the director of the Water Treatment division. The international character of his work took him to the USA, China, South East Asia and Japan. His career ultimately led him to Slovenia in 2008. He is responsible for the successful expansion of the Bosch Siemens Home Appliances group to other south European markets, as well as the notable expansion of the BSH market shares in these markets despite the recent economic crisis. He is managing the company covering nine very different markets and countries in the so-called Adriatic East region. He is also a board member on the German Chamber of Commerce in Slovenia. Privately: He lives in Ljubljana together with his wife, with whom he enjoys the “minimum of leisure time” in the beautiful countryside. Their passion is also the excellent cuisine and wine in different parts of Slovenia. Last but not least, he is also trying to speak Slovene at least half as well as his wife. Mr Klötscher also loves skiing and badminton; he has tried to start golfing, inspired by the excellent courses here. He says he has learnt the importance and possibility of combining of working time and leisure in Slovenia, which is not the case in his homeland.

Gertrud Rantzen Director of the SlovenianGerman Chamber of Commerce Germany Professionally: Ms Rantzen excels with 20 years of experience in a network of German Chambers of Commerce throughout the world. Her greatest achievement in Slovenia thus far has been the establishment of the bilateral chamber and strengthening the network of Slovenian and German companies, which resulted in nearly 40% increase of trade between the countries during the seven years of her work in Slovenia. From 2006, she has been leading SlovenianGerman Chamber of Commerce, an association with 154 members and 15 employees. One aspect of her work that she adores is constantly meeting new people. Privately: She spends most of her free time in nature. As an enthusiastic mountaineer, she regularly runs to Rožnik Hill after work and for the weekend she tends to seek peace and tranquillity in the Slovenian mountains. She also enjoys skiing, which he has learnt here, and visiting local spas. Another one of her passions is travelling. Variety in cultures, languages, dances and people enriches her life. She is fond of books, especially German and Portuguese. On arrival, she was surprised by Slovenia as she had very few previous impressions of it. She finds Slovenes open, nice people, who are willing to help at any time, and (similar to Germans) who might be a little reserved at first, but are then quickly ready to make lasting friendships, especially when a glass of good wine and food is on the table. Still sometimes she misses the breezy northern German coast, the sound of seagulls and an Eastern Frisian cup of tea. April 2010

60 GUEST STAR CANDIDATES

Culture: The Lyrics, the Music and the Dance

Lukas Zuschlag Nadiya Ballet dancer Bychkova Austria

Professionally: Born in 1985 in Klagenfurt, Austria, he started with ballet at the age of five. After graduating from secondary school and one year of community service, he has joined the Ljubljana ballet ensemble, which soon entrusted him with solo roles and made him a soloist of the Ljubljana ballet after three years. On stage, he has transformed himself into two different Princes – Shakespeare’s Romeo and Don Quixote’s Espada – and several other remarkable characters. In 2008, he received the Lidia Wisijak Award from Slovenia for his interpretation of Romeo and in the same year the Kulturförderpreis des Landes Kärnten in Austria. Furthermore, he took a part in the RTV show “Stars Sing” with Karmen Stavec; they made it to 3rd place. Privately: Otherwise, when not in the ballet studio, he is involved in sport, travelling, hanging out and partying with friends, etc. He thinks Slovenia has its very special own charm. It is small and nothing seems really far from his home town. He finds the people here very open-minded, friendly and honestly interested in a variety of things.

2009

www.gueststar.org www.gueststar.org www.gueststar.org The Slovenia Times

Professional Latin-American and Ballroom dancer Ukraine Professionally: A professional Latin-American and ballroom dancer, she comes from a small town called Lugansk. She moved to Slovenia five years ago for her dancing career and found an “optimal” dancing partner with whom, along with the coaching team, she made a winning combination. Since then she has won several titles including the National Champion in 2009. However, results aren’t her greatest motivation: what matters more is contact with the audience. “We were surrounded by kids, the atmosphere in the hall reached its climax during our performance and that is what really excites me,” she said in an interview. Apart from dancing, she is also one of Slovenia’s most soughtafter models for photo shoots and fashion shows, representing an underwear manufacturer. She also holds the title of Miss Casino Kongo. A person with a diverse range of interests, she accepted an offer to host a TV show at a smaller private station, which also challenged her to improve her Slovene language skills. Privately: Her rare moments of free time are dedicated for exploring Slovenia’s rich natural environment. She observes that women in Ukraine pay more attention to how they look, as opposed to Slovenes who more often prefer comfort over elegance. She is recognized as always being positive and smiling.

Erica Johnson Debeljak Author and publicist The United States Professionally: She is a freelancer active in various fields. During the years since she came from the United States in 1993, she has been working as a writer, translator, and columnist. In terms of accomplishments, she considers her career as a writer to be the most important. She won the 2007 Family Matters Award; her work has been translated into Italian, German, Hungarian, Bosnian, and Slovakian. As an offshoot of that, she also enjoys acting as a sort of bridge between Slovenia and other cultures – particularly English-speaking cultures. Her recent memoir “Forbidden Bread” has been especially popular among the Slovenian-American community in the United States. She did a reading in San Francisco last summer, and will be going on a reading tour of the US “Slovenian belt” this spring. She finds it a delightful irony to be a non-Slovenian (at least ethnically speaking) narrating a story of Slovenia to ethnic Slovenians in America. She also has contributed to Slovenian culture by translating many of its most treasured authors, including “Difficult Spring” by Boris Pahor. As a columnist and essayist, she has contributed over the years to lively public debates about education, culture and politics in Slovenia. Privately: A dual citizen, after 17 years in Slovenia she hardly thinks of herself as an “ex-pat” anymore. She has many hobbies, from playing tennis to bridge at the Tivoli Bridge Club. Alpine walking is also one of her passions. She considers a wonderful place to live with a uniquely pleasant quality of life. “What Slovenia gave me was the opportunity to discover myself, to discover what I really like to do in life,” she comments on the greatest gift she had received from the country.

En Shao Chief Conductor of RTV Slovenia Symphonic Orchestra Born in China, UK Citizen Professionally: En Shao started to learn about music at a very young age, learning to play both piano and violin at ages 4 and 5, respectively. His mother was also a keen musician, teaching it at a local school, and he inherited that passion; by the age of 18 he was already working as a composer, pianist and percussionist with a local orchestra. After graduating from the Beijing Conservatory, he worked with several orchestras in China before moving to England to further his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, with the Edward Van Beinum Foundation Scholarship in 1988. After graduation, he had several posts in Europe, including Spain, Ireland, and England, and performed in 36 countries. Following that, he spent several years in Macao. Beside Slovenia, he has positions in both Taiwan and mainland China (as Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Taipei Chinese Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra). He considers travelling to many different places across the world and as one of the best parts of the job. Privately: En Shao has a wide range of interests includes Chinese cuisine, contemporary interior design and architecture and jazz. He also takes a particular interest in environmental issues. Is Slovenia, he particularly enjoys rich culture and history, good water and fresh air with beautiful mountainous landscapes.

GUEST STAR CANDIDATES 61

Sport: The Importance of Coaches

Ivan Hudač Head Coach of Nordic skier Petra Majdič Slovak Republic Professionally: Hudač and his training methods are responsible for the brilliant career of Petra Majdič, the Slovenian cross-country skiing diva who won the bronze at this year’s Olympic Games. Before taking up coaching, Hudač was a member of the Slovak national team until the Nagano Olympic Games in 1998. Accepting his current role meant a tough challenge ahead. In doing so, he became responsible for the career of by far the best Slovenian in the history of cross-country skiing and someone who regarded her previous coach as a second father. But Hudač in¬stantly proved his doubters wrong. Under his super¬vision, the perfor¬mances of Majdič and the other team members took a giant leap forward ultimately leading her to her current excellent results. Privately: He lives in Slovenia together with his wife and a daughter, mostly spending his rare free moments at his home in Trzin, near Ljubljana. Comparing to his home country to Slovenia, he notices that while the landscapes are similar, the standard of living is slightly higher here. He speaks Slovene fluently.

Ljudmila Bodnieva Handball Player, HC Krim Russia Professionally: Ljudmila Bodnieva came to Slovenia in 2003 after signing for the Krim Handball Club. One of the best handball players at her position, she has been voted six times in a row as the best world and European pivot, and is one of the go-to players for both her club and the Russian national handball team. The club’s high European goals and winning mentality are the things that keep her going despite occasional losses. Since playing for Krim, she has won international medals with the Russian handball team and has certainly become a crowd favourite in Ljubljana – one that will continue to write Krim’s story of success. Privately: Since coming to Slovenia, she has quickly adapted to the local lifestyle, which also includes the mandatory meeting of friends for a cup of coffee. She says living in a foreign country and playing handball in a team in which virtually every player speaks a different language is not only exciting, but also very challenging, yet she would not want to have it any other way.

2009

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Glenn Hoag

Gilles Jaquet

Head coach of ACH Volley Canada

Head coach of Slovenian snowboard team Switzerland

Professionally: Glenn Hoag was born in the north of the province of Québec in a forestry town to a French-speaking mother and an English-speaking father. His devotion to sports started at a young age. He played hockey until the age of 15 and then moved on to learn and play volleyball. In 1981, he joined the national team and played in the 1984 Olympics, followed by nine more years as a professional. After his successful career as a player, he started coaching at the Université de Sherbrooke. He has a bachelor’s degree in physical education and is a Level 4 certified coach. His arrival in Slovenia seemed to have an immediate effect, as the ACH Volley club won the Slovene Cup in December 2008 and has hold that title ever since. ACH Volley has recently qualified for the Final 4 tournament. Privately: He has two boys, Christopher and Nicholas. His wife is a Canadian of Slovenian descent. He loves the forest, enjoys fishing and reading biographies, as he is “really interested in people and how they came to be known.” He considers Slovenia very much like his home in Québec as the people here are very industrious and enjoy nature.

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Professionally: Born in the town of La Chaux-de-Fonds, which lies in the French part of Switzerland, Gilles studied sport math and physics. As with many professional athletes, Gilles’s life has been devoted to sport; he started with judo and was a state champion, then did some track and field and was again a state champion in running. He then turned to BMX races and once more proved that he was the racer to beat by winning the state champion title. After that, he tried Tchoukball (pronounced chukeball), which is an indoor team sport developed in the 1970s. That was followed by snowboarding in 1992 and has remained with it ever since. In 2001 and 2002, he became a world champion and won the world tour in the 2001–2002 season. He reached the podium 36 times in World Cup ISF and FIS until he finally bid farewell to the sport he loves so much after 16 years in order to pass what he had learnt on to younger generations. Privately: His hobbies besides sport include performing circus acts –something he learnt while attending a circus school in Budapest; he especially enjoys juggling and unicycling. He is very fond of Slovenia, saying it is a “small country with a lot to see and which has to become better known in Western Europe.” It reminds him of Switzerland but with smaller mountains and one rather important distinction – the sea, which to a lover of all things connected to surfing simply makes a world of difference. Catering provided by

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$ &26026 April 2010

Mamata Shankar Dance Group from India preforms Chandalika in Cankarjev dom (Photo: Domen Pal) The champions of Planica ski-flying competition: Gregor Schlierenzauer, the winner Simon Ammann, and Anders Jacobsen. (Photo: Mediaspeed)

EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

President Danilo Türk and his wife purchase tickets for a charity concert to help victimized children, sponsored by his own foundation.

The Slovenia Times organised two round table discussions at PROPRIO property show in Ljubljana, focusing on Prekmurje regional development and the experience of foreigners who invested in the Slovenian property market

Maribor citys’ vine expert assisted by the Wine Queen 2010 prunes the world’s oldest vine. (Photo: Mediaspeed)

The winner of this year lifetime Viktor media award Radio Slovenia music editor Dragan Bulič with actor and former Viktor event host Jurij Zrnec. (Photo: Mediaspeed) Special offer for the new subscribers. The first fifty subscribers to the Slovenia Times Magazine get a special gift - a free Thai massage!

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